All Beautiful Things
by MileyNick123
Summary: "I love you too," I whispered quietly, and I knew I meant it. A soft, breath- taking smile curled onto her lips before I pressed the gun to her head and killed her. -Niley-
1. Prologue

"I love you," the brunette whispered. She caressed my cheek with the side of her palm before moving closer; so close that I could smell the peppermint fanning with each breath she took. I studied her at that moment. She was exactly the same girl I had fallen in love with when we were children. Of course there were some changes, but in my eyes, she was still the wind- chapped, bright lipped, 12 year old girl I had grown up with.

I took that moment and tilted my face to parallel my lips with hers. A soft smile curled onto her lips as she hesitantly wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling herself closer until her lips crashed onto mine. She moved hungrily, almost as if searching for something she couldn't find. I desperately clung onto her, trailing my lips around her jaw. By the time we pulled away, she was breathing heavily and I was almost panting for breath.

It was at that moment that she began to cry. It was soft tears, but she didn't look away from me once. Those deep orbs of gray stayed locked on mine the entire time. I tucked a loose strand of honey brown hair behind her ear and kissed her temple softly, my lips barely grazing the patch of pale skin. "Hey," I whispered, grasping her chin with my fingers. I tilted her face up until her eyes were leveled with mine.

"I love you too," I whispered quietly, and I knew I meant it. I would always mean it. A soft, breath- taking smile curled onto her lips before I pressed the gun to her head and killed her.

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**_A/N: Just a new short story I started on youtube. I know the ending is kind of... WOAH, but yeah. Hahaa. You'll figure it out through the story._**

**_I'm only uploading it on youtube, but I'm also thinking about putting the chapters up on fanfiction. The only problem is the chapters are going to be super short_**

**_since the description boxes on youtube can only hold so much. Just review saying whether you have a problem with watching it on youtube and I might upload each chapter on here too. _**

**_Thanks for reading. _**

**_P.S. (I've been trying my best to work on 21 Days. I'm done with a chapter. It's not the best, and I'm debating on whether I should put it up or not. If I do, it should be up by Friday. :) )_**


	2. Summer: Day 1

_**A/N: The rest of the story is pretty much flashbacks and events from the prologue. I forgot to post the youtube link in the prologue so here it is: .com/ItsMileyNick123**_

_**The Prologue: www. youtube . com /watch?v=cYsauZa9pVA&feature=related**_

_**Chapter 1: www. youtube .com/watch?v=scaYx9v6f9I**_

_**(P.S. I updated 21 Days of Miley Stewart.)**_

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**_-Earlier That Summer-_**

The sun was beating down on the 18 year old's face as he shielded his eyes with the back of his palm. They had been driving around for what seemed like days as they drove past the familiar streets of Palmer Beach, Virginia. Nick and his family had been driving down here for as long as Nick could remember. His mom's best friend since high school lived in a beach house less than a mile away from the ocean, and it had become almost a ritual to spend every summer there.

The drive continued in silence except for the steady hum of Joe's music drifting from the back seat, and his mom's finger tapping on the steering wheel in anticipation to see her best friend, Tish. Nick wasn't all too excited. It was going to be like any other summer; long, hot, and unsurprising.

Tish had one daughter, and Nick and Joe had known her since she was in diapers. She was a few years younger than them, and Nick and Joe never let her forget it. She was always closer to Joe; their personalities just matched. She was the kind of girl who would run around begging them to play hide n seek with her, the kind of girl who lived for swimming and popsicles and watching movies all night and passing out before it even finished.

"We're here!" his mom, Denise called out as she jumped out of the car. Joe was a bit more hesitant as he sat up from his state of half- sleep. Groggily, he rubbed at his eyes and pulled himself out of the car to help Denise with their bags. Nick didn't move for a few moments. Instead he stared at the immense house he had spent so many summers in and sighed. Something was different. It wasn't exactly the house itself, but there was a hint of change in the air and Nick didn't like it.

"Honey, come outside." Denise tapped his window, breaking his thoughts. He took one last glance before stepping out of the family van. A wave of fresh air with a tinge of salt and sand engulfed him the moment his foot crunched onto the soft gravel.

Joe was already half- way up the pathway with the bags when a feminine figure slipped out from the front porch and stepped right under a patch of bright sunlight. Nick felt his heart stop when he realized who he was looking at.

"Miley!" Joe called out, dropping our bags and embracing the honey- brown haired stranger that Nick was almost sure wasn't Miley. At least not the Miley he had grown up with. The brunette pulled back with a lazy smile. She had grown almost an inch or two taller than him.

Denise stepped up next and threw her in a long, deep hug. "You've grown up so much!"

By the time they pulled away, Nick realized it was his turn to say something, but he just couldn't stop gawking. Miley's smile dimmed a little at his hesitancy. "Hey, Nick," she greeted politely. The childishness and innocence in her voice had disappeared.

Finally, Nick shuffled forward and wrapped his arms around her in a short awkward embrace. Before, she had to tip toe just to reach his head, but now all she had to do was lean forward. He could smell the familiar scent of apples and cinnamon in her hair as they wrapped each other in a hug and the small familiarity gave him a sense of comfort. Maybe not all things had changed after all.

"Where's your Mom?" Denise asked, glancing around for Tish. She was always at the front porch waiting for our big arrival. Her absence made everything unbalanced, wrong.

"She's sleeping upstairs," Miley explained. The whole group shared a look, knowing that Tish would never sleep in the middle of the day. No one said anything until Miley broke the silence again. "You can go upstairs. She's probably waking up by now anyway." Denise embraced her one last time before running into the beach house to surprise Tish with their arrival.

"So what happened to your braces?" Joe smirked as he came back down the dirt path with our bags.

"Got them off last winter."

"And your glasses?"

"Contacts."

"You just look so different, Miles. I can't even tell if it's really you anymore," Joe exclaimed, examining her from head to toe. "Don't you think, Nick?"

Nick snapped back to reality only to realize he was staring at her again. Without her thick framed glasses, he could finally notice how gray- blue her eyes were. "Different. Yeah."

A soft blush crept up her cheeks, and at the same moment, Nick felt something flip in his stomach. "Let's just go inside. It's getting draft out here."

"Actually, I have to meet up with someone right now, but I'll be back for dinner. It was great seeing you guys. Welcome back to Palmer Beach," she grinned before running back down the path and disappearing around a sharp corner.

"That was weird…" Joe finally murmured after a few beats of silence. Nick kept silent, just staring at the spot where Miley had disappeared from sight.

She never had plans. At least not when they were there. Their summer visits used to be her world. She would plan every moment of everyday, and now she was already leaving after 5 minutes of their arrival. As selfish as it was, he felt almost angry at her for not caring as much. He wanted the small 12 year old who would beg them to go with her back.

This summer was going to be much longer than he expected.


	3. Summer: Day 2

**_A/N: Thanks for reading. :) I love reading your reviews; especially the long ones. _**

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Joe and Nick had been sitting in the living room for the last few hours, shuffling through the channels and trying to look for something decent. A pair of loud laughter and a shuffling of footsteps caught both of their attentions as they watched Tish and Denise walk down the hallway, talking like they hadn't been apart for the past year.

"My boys!" Tish grinned as she wrapped both in each arm. She had become more frail than the last time they had seen her; so much that they barely fit, but she was still the same loud, bright Tish Nick had grown up knowing. Tish and Denise basically shared their children. Nick and Joe were as much as Tish's sons as Miley were Denise's daughter. .

"You guys are so big," she exclaimed as she finally let us go.

"Nick's been playing baseball recently, and Joe just got on the wresting team," Denise explained with a wink.

Tish's jaw dropped slightly in a small 'O'. "My little Joey, on the wrestling team?"

"That doesn't mean he's good at it," Nick coughed under my breath. The group broke into laughter as Joe punched his shoulder lightly.

"Nick's the MVP of the baseball team," Joe added with a proud nod.

"Like I'm surprised," she ruffled his locks of curls like they were five again. She was always one of the people that would treat them like kids, and they wouldn't mind.

"So what about Miley and her dancing? Has she become captain yet?" Denise asked with a small smile. They all knew how long Miley's been pining for that Captain spot on her dance team. She danced everywhere. Up the stairs, down the boardwalk, even in the pool.

"Actually," Tish mumbled tensely. "Miley quit dancing last winter."

All of their jaws must have hit the floor. "Why?"

"She's just had a lot of work in school. She couldn't handle it both. No big deal," Tish shrugged, but Nick had known her for too long to know when she was lying. "Where is Miley anyway?"

"She went out," Joe answered quickly, shrugging it off like it was no big deal.

"But we just got here," Denise stated, trying to mask the surprise and hurt in her voice.

Tish crossed her arms in front of her chest and placed a strained smile on her face. "She's been busy. She's been hanging out with these new groups of friends, and she just needs space, you know?"

Everyone nodded like they truly understood, but in honesty, it felt like the most alien thing the three had ever heard. Miley wasn't someone who needed space. She was the kind of person who suffocated you. The girl that was being described didn't sound like the talkative, annoying girl Nick had spent so many summers with. This girl sounded like a stranger.

Miley didn't come home for another few hours either. They ended up having the large arrival feast like usual, but it felt almost wrong every time Nick's eyes glazed over the empty seat across from me. Something felt unfinished without her there.

After dinner, Tish and Denise ran upstairs to catch up while Joe went up to his room to go to sleep. Nick was finally left alone for the first time that day. As he collapsed onto the milk white couch in the living room, he realized that maybe not much had changed after all. The same pictures of Miley in her leotards, her horrible attempts at photography when she was 13, and finally the bottle of seashells they would try to fill up every summer. They hadn't even emptied it yet, he realized disappointedly.

Suddenly, a tiny movement of sound caught Nick's attention, and he turned around to catch Miley tip- toeing through the door. She looked a bit shaken, but Nick could read the relief in her expression as she shut the door and felt the warmth of the house roll over her. She glanced around as if making sure there was no one there.

"Coast is clear," he smirked, glancing up at her from the couch.

Miley jumped up and squealed. It almost sounded like the Miley he knew. Almost. "You scared me."

"That's my job."

Miley shook her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Still the same Nick."

"Sorry I couldn't say the same about you."

Miley sighed, frustrated and rolled her eyes at me. "Okay. I got contacts. I'm not your little brace face anymore. It's not that big a deal."

"It's more than just that."

She stayed silent and locked eyes with me as if waiting for me to continue and explain. After I stayed silent, she turned around to sneak upstairs, but I called out, "You missed the arrival dinner."

She turned around slowly. "I know."

"You never miss the arrival dinner."

"I had plans."

"With who?"

Again, she exhaled a deep sigh and tucked a strand of honey brown hair behind her ear. "Good night, Nick," was all she said. She turned around again to go upstairs, but she paused at the foot of the stairs. "And I did miss you," she mumbled quickly before leaving him alone.

Nick turned back around in the couch feeling angry, and he didn't even know why.


	4. Summer: Day 3

The next morning, Nick woke up to the familiar smell of pancakes roaming from the kitchen. He pulled himself out of bed, almost forgetting the strange encounter with Miley last night and walked down the stairs quickly. He found Denise and Tish dancing around the kitchen to oldies music blasting from the radio. They looked so happy that Nick found himself stepping back and letting them have their moment.

It was at that moment that he collided with another body. His arms reflexively reached forward to steady whoever he had bumped into, and his hands grazed the smooth skin of Miley Gregory. He glanced up and met her gray- blue eyes.

"Sorry," Miley apologized quickly, pushing his hands away and breaking the moment. "I was just trying to get in the kitchen."

"Right," Nick mumbled. He hesitantly stepped back and let her pass through. She took one step into the tiled floor, saw our mothers dancing like teenagers, and stepped back outside just like he did. She stole a quick glance at Nick, and rolled her eyes again before stepping into the deck.

Nick decided to follow her. By the time, he had caught up to her long strides, she was already fanned out on one of the beach chairs. She glanced up at him. "Hey."

"Hey." He took a seat on the beach chair next to her. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked, not even looking at Nick.

"Because it seemed kind of weird. We never argued over anything."

She laughed, but it sounded so wrong. "You always did have the worst memory. We argued over everything."

Nick kept his lips sealed shut knowing that it was true. "Tish told us you quit dancing." Miley said nothing, but Nick noticed her shoulders tense up. "Why did you do it?"

"It got boring."

"You loved dancing since you could walk. Last summer, being captain was all you could talk about."

"Well, a lot of things can happen in a year," she snapped suddenly. Nick found himself wincing from the sharpness in her voice. Finally, her face softened as she sighed again. "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight with you. Can we just start over?"

"On what?"

"Just shake my hand, retard," she laughed, holding her hand out towards Nick. Grinning, he reached forward to shake it. The moment their hands grasped the other, something strange happened. What felt like a jolt of electricity filled both their bodies and Nick suddenly felt like he was suffocating. They pulled their hands away quickly and their eyes met.

Nick tried to shake away the strange feeling building inside him to reach over and push back that strand of hair falling stray from her loose ponytail. He brought his hand to the back of his neck and rubbed tensely, knowing that it was the only way for him to keep his hands to himself. This was Miley, he reminded himself. The Miley he had known for over half his life. She was basically his sister.

"We should probably get inside," she mumbled, her voice becoming lifeless again. She stood up and put on her bright green flip flops; the only Miley-ish thing that Nick could recognize out of her designer shorts and silk blouse.

"Do you want to go to the boardwalk with me… and um, Joe later?" Nick found himself asking.

Miley looked almost guilty as she turned around. "Actually, I already have plans for today."

"Again?"

Her jaw tensed. "Sorry. Maybe another day?"

Nick found myself nodding, trying to display the best strained smile he could manage. He buried the disappointment in his chest and followed her back inside.


	5. Summer:  Day 4

"This place looks exactly the same, huh?" Joe's voice drifted next to me. I glanced up at him and nodded slowly. We had been wandering around the Palmer Beach boardwalk for almost an hour, and it had become almost tiring. It was something we had been doing since pretty much forever, and it was always something we looked forward too.

There was just one difference.

Miley was missing.

"What do you think about Miley?"

Joe smirked. "She got hot."

Nick shoved his brother lightly, his face scrunching in disgust. "She's like our sister."

"So? Can't a guy have a hot sister?"

"Just shut up, Joe," Nick mumbled quickly, feeling his face heat up from even thinking of Miley that way. Sure she had changed physically over the year. Her hair had gotten longer, she had ditched the uneven bangs from last summer, her glasses were now replaced with contacts, and her smile was metal- free and flawless. But even without those changes, Nick always found her beautiful.

"Hey. Isn't that Miley over there?"

Nick suddenly found himself searching through the thick crowd for her face. Joe grabbed his chin and jerked it towards the direction of the beach. It was almost hard to tell there were people there, but Miley's light hair pushed through everyone else's.

"Should we go over there?"

"Sure. Why not?" Joe shrugged casually as if they were walking towards the same Miley who would beg us to play Scrabble with her and sing along to every song on the radio.

"Hey," Joe called out, waving his hands once we were a few yards away. It wasn't until they were a few feet away that they noticed she was in a heavy conversation with another guy in front of her. He was large and bulky with a full head of spiky blonde hair cropped close to his ear. His face was blotchy and red, even in the dark, and his thick eyebrows were twisted in disgust.

"Liam please—" they heard her beg. Nick felt his heart seize up just from the desperation in his voice.

"This isn't my problem."

Miley opened her mouth, and Nick could recognize her expression anywhere. He had seen it when he was 9 and Miley was only 7. They were playing on the beach, and their mothers were too busy in conversation to notice the two had wandered too far down the beach. By the time they had collected as many shells as their small hands could hold, they turned back around only to realize they had no idea where they were. Miley's hands dropped and all the bright colored shells scattered across the sand. It was the first time Nick had ever seen her cry.

He remembered dropping his own shells and grabbing her hand, telling her to hold onto his and they wouldn't be lost anymore. He promised her that he knew the way back. Although they eventually managed to wander back towards the side of the beach where their mothers were still engaged in conversation, Nick had been lying. He didn't have a clue on where they were going, but Miley trusted him enough to believe him.

"Who the hell are you two?" a thick, harsh voice cut through Nick's thoughts.

Miley snapped around and glanced at an approaching Nick and Joe. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We just came to say hi," Joe answered slowly, choosing each word delicately. Nick stayed silent and kept his gaze on the bulky blonde.

"You know these two?"

"They're my…," she paused, not really knowing how to answer.

"Sorry," Joe finally exclaimed. "Are we interrupting something? Because we can go."

The blonde chuckled coldly under his breath and backed away from them. "We were done anyway. Have a nice life, Gregory." He sped back up the pier and disappeared before we could say anything else. Miley looked close to breaking down as she rubbed her arms together. Joe excused himself so he could make a phone call for our moms to pick us back up.

Nick shuffled from foot to foot awkwardly as he and Miley were left alone. It took him a moment to realize that she was shivering. He shrugged off his jacket, and he noticed Miley opening her mouth to argue. He placed it around her shoulders quickly before she could say anything else.

"Just take it."

She pursed her lips shut and crossed her arms across her chest, hugging the sweater closer around her. "Thank you," she mumbled quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She glanced down at her feet as she nudged the sand with her toes. "Can we just forget it?"

I studied her at that moment, and found my heart freezing in place."Already forgotten."


	6. Summer: Day 5

**_A/N: I know the POV's are all messed up. Sorry. It originally used to be in first person, but I decided to mix it up so I tried to change as much of the 'I' to 'he'. I know I missed a few... or a lot... but yeah. The next few chapters are a little better. Hahaa. Thanks for reading. :)_**

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"Your turn," Tish smiled at Nick with a devil grin. She adjusted her feet and flashed Nick a look of pure determination. She never did have a good poker face. Chuckling under his breath, his laid out the letters _T_ and_ N_.

"Tan," Nick exclaimed proudly. "5 points."

The group laughed out loud, knowing how horrible Nick had always been at Scrabble. It was almost a summer tradition to play Scrabble every Friday night. Surprisingly, Miley had decided to stay home. It was the first time they were all actually together. Nick nudged the blanked- out brunette with his foot. "Your turn, Miles."

She shook her head quickly as if waking up from a day dream. "What?"

"Your turn," Nick repeated.

"Are you alright, hun? You've been looking kind of exhausted recently," Tish quickly broke in with her worried tone. Everyone nodded in agreement, finally noticing the heavy bags weighing down underneath her pale eyelids.

Miley put in her best attempt at a smile, before shaking away their worries. "Just a little stomach flu. That's all."

"Remind me to give you a little something for that later, okay?"

Miley smiled at her mother, but it was easy to tell it was slightly forced. "Yeah, Mom." She glanced down at the row of letters in front of her, pausing for a good two minutes before finally making a move. Denise almost gasped when all Miley came up with was a four letter word.

"Late," Miley repeated as she set the wooden blocked words across the board. Everyone stared at her in silence, occasionally sharing a look with one another. Miley was the champion at Scrabble. If Nick had to tally who won each Scrabble game from every summer, Miley would have had enough lines to draw a mansion with a garden and an extra swimming pool. And now, all she could bring to the board was a score almost as low as Nick's?

"That's it?" Joe mumbled. Denise flashed him a warning look before quickly moving on to her turn. Nick and Joe shared another look of pure bewilderment, wondering what could have shaken Miley up so bad. Every time Nick would glance up at her, her eyes would always flicker left and right as if waiting for a storm she knew would be coming at any minute.

"So what are you planning to do for college?" Denise asked after she made her word.

Miley hesitated as she opened her mouth to answer, but Tish beat her to it. Her hand grasped over to layer over Miley's. "Miley is going to Virginia University, become someone great, help the world, make a few billion dollars, and take care of me when I get old and wrinkly," Tish joked around with a teasing smile. She nudged her daughter at the side, but Miley sat up straight and rigid as if she weren't even breathing.

"Miley. It's your turn," Nick suddenly continued, noticing how tense she had gotten with the subject. The 16 year old girl shook her head and stood up from her seat on the carpet. She brought a hand to her stomach and scrunched her face up in pain.

"Actually, I think that stomach flu is coming back. Do you think it's okay if I just go to bed?"

Tish seemed a little unsure on how to answer. It didn't take a genius to know that she was only making an excuse. "Sure, hun. Just feel better."

"Night, Miley," they all greeted quietly, their eyes trailing behind the slowly exiting brunette as she climbed the stairs and disappeared.

"Are you sure she's going to be okay?" Denise asked, worry filling her expression. She glanced at Tish with a raised eyebrow, wondering if they should go up to make sure Miley was really okay.

Tish shrugged off her worries tensely. "Of course she will. She's Miley… She's always okay," she explained, but everyone in the room could smell the doubts leaking from each lying word.


	7. Summer: Day 6

It had been a week since they had arrived and both Joe and Nick were too scared to mention the incident down at the beach with the mysterious blonde stranger, and not to mention the tense night of Scrabble. Surprisingly, Miley hadn't left the house for any more 'plans', but that didn't exactly mean she was spending time with them either. For the most part, she locked herself up in her room, listening to music that blasted all through the house.

No one said anything or even complained. It was just so alien to for Miley to be so closed. Since she was small, all Nick could remember was that bright smile of hers stretching from ear to ear. Now it seemed like catching that smile was the rarest thing on Earth.

Tish had been in her room a lot too. She apparently had a bad cold, and Denise was helping her get better to the best of her ability. She hadn't left her best friend's side for three days. Joe had met a girl down by the beach a few days ago, which left Nick all to himself. It felt strange to be the odd one out. Usually, it would be Miley begging to join Nick and Joe in whatever they were doing. She was the girl out of two boys, she was the youngest out of two teenagers. All she ever wanted was to join them.

This summer changed everything.

"Nick?" a soft voice called out from the staircase, followed by tiny creaking of footsteps.

The curly- haired 17 year old turned around to catch Miley creeping down the stairs. "Hey. Are you okay?"

She rubbed her shoulders, not saying anything as she walked over and took the seat next to him. "I will be," she finally answered. "What are you doing down here by yourself?"

"Denise and Tish went to the doctor to pick up some medicine for your Mom's cold. Joe's out with his new girlfriend."

"Another one?" Miley smirked playfully.

"You know him."

"You guys really do never change," she sighed, running her hand through her untamed waves of bed hair. "And before you make anymore comments on how different I look, I'm going to have to staple your mouth shut. I know I'm not hideous anymore. Big woop."

"I never thought you were hideous."

Miley glanced up at him, tucking her knees under her chin. She studied him for a few beats of silence before turning back around. "You're also still a liar."

"What?"

"When I was 11, you said I looked like a monster."

"I don't remember that," Nick lied. He remembered the day exactly. It was the summer Miley had gotten her braces, and Nick took the first opportunity he could get to make fun of her. Miley had run up to them the moment they pulled into the gravel driveway. The minute she reached over to hug Nick, he had pulled her away, telling her he would never hug a metal monster. He had been joking, planning the joke all through the car ride, but Miley took it seriously. She backed away and ran back in the house. She had locked herself in her room for the rest of the day before coming back outside, snapping her mouth shut and refusing to talk.

"It's amazing how much can change with your looks."

"Is that why you changed?" Nick asked curiously, raising his eyebrow.

Miley looked a little taken back with the question. "It's complicated."

"We've known each other since we were in diapers, Miles. We tell each other everything."

"No," she corrected. "I told you everything. You were always the quiet, closed one. I would have paid millions to know what was going in that head of yours."

Nick knew it was true. Miley and him might have known each other their whole lives, but they were never close. Not like Joe and Miley who could almost be labeled as best friends. The truth was, when they were younger, Miley had gained a crush on Nick. Of course, she told Joe and Joe spread it to Nick. Nothing happened except time passed by. He could only guess that her infatuations had slowly vanished.

"What movie are you watching?" Miley finally asked, changing the intimate subject.

Nick glanced back at the large TV screen. "The Notebook."

Miley hugged her knees closer to her chin and smiled. "I always loved this movie."

Nick found himself grinning as he raised the volume. "I know."


	8. Summer: Day 7

**_A/N: Yes. I did base part of the story on The Summer I Turned Pretty (Pssttt. You should read it. It's an amazing book.) But a lot of this story is entirely different. Trust me. Hahaa. Thanks for the reviews and feedback! I have 20 chapters done and written, so the wait for each won't be that long. The story will start picking up soon. _**

"What's with this new girlfriend of yours?" Miley asked, munching on a few carrots as they entered the kitchen. All three teenagers were dripping wet from the pool water, and their feet pooled up water all across the kitchen floor.

"She's just this girl," Joe answered shyly.

"You're blushing," Miley teased, nudging the crimson- faced boy with her elbow. In the last few days, she had begun to finally act more like the Miley Nick had grown up with. Ever since their strange conversation on the couch, she had brightened up. She wasn't exactly the same care- free girl from all those summers ago, but she wasn't the closed off girl either. It was better than nothing.

"What's her name?" Nick finally asked as he grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge.

"Demi."

"As in Powell?"

Joe raised an eyebrow at the grinning brunette. "Yeah… Do you know her?"

"She was in my dance classes a few years back. Dark black hair, pale skin, huge smile, right?"

Joe chuckled as he grabbed a carrot from her plate. "That's the one."

Miley sighed and crossed her arms in front of her t- shirt covered chest. "I don't know whether to be happy or worried."

"Why?" Joe asked quizzically.

"Because she's really nice."

"And?"

"And you're an asshole who'll break her heart," Miley explained with a playful grin. "C'mon. Don't look so surprised. You've had a summer fling the last 3 summers you've been here."

Joe shook his head and munched on his carrot. "It's different this time."

"That's what you said last time too," Nick pointed out with a smirk.

"Just be careful, Joe. Now excuse me while I go to the ladies room." Miley pushed herself out of the chair she had just taken a seat on and strode across the room.

"Again? You just went like half an hour ago."

She shrugged quickly. "Maybe I swallowed too much pool water." Nick and Joe just laughed and let her go. Before she got back, the front door opened and Tish and Denise came strolling back into the room with mounds and mounds of grocery bags.

"What's all this for?"

Tish and Denise shared a look that held so many secrets and smiles that Nick and Joe knew there was no point in asking. "We just feel like celebrating," they grinned at the two boys. "Where's Miley anyway?"

"Right here," Miley entered back into the room looking a little queasy. Nick glanced up, worried.

"You okay?"

"Just out in the sun too much," she explained quickly, waving away their worries. Nick nodded slowly and continued helping their mothers with the grocery bags, but he knew she was lying. The Miley Gregory he knew loved the sun. If she could have traveled the world every day just so the sun would always be dancing across the sky, she would have taken that opportunity within a second.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," Miley finally explained, stretching her arms out in a yawn.

"But we were going to have a party," Tish pouted dramatically, wrapping her daughter in her arms. Miley didn't laugh though. Instead, Nick watched as the brunette tensely slipped out of her mother's arms.

"I just wanted to take a nap."

"Miley sure has… changed," Denise finally sighed as she placed the final groceries in the fridge.

"Since when did she ever have too much sun?" Nick mumbled under his breath.

"Or keeps all her clothes on when she goes in the pool?" Joe chuckled, though the humor in his laugh sounded dry.

Tish glanced up at the stairs Miley had just sped up. "It's just a phase."

Nick, Joe, and Denise all agreed in silence, not really knowing what to think anymore.

* * *

A few hours later, Nick jogged up the stairs, his hands sliding across the banisters. By the time he had stopped in front of Miley's door, he felt his lips curl into a soft smile as he trailed his fingers over the posters and phtographs that still hung on her door in a scattered mess. He found his touch lingering on a single photograph of them standing at the beach on a summer night. He remembered that day clearly.

It had been her 12th birthday, one of the final markings of the end of summer. She was covered in frosting, and her slim arm was wrapped around Nick's shoulder, though she had to basically tip- toe just to reach him. This was one of the times where things were still good between them; before Nick had gone through the phase where he thought of himself being more mature than everyone and everything else.

His hand rapped at the wooden door in loud echoing knocks. For a few seconds, there was no movement except for the soft, small sounds of sobs. "Miley?" he called out softly, worry beginning to rise in his chest.

"What?" her voice finally broke through, but she barely managed to hide the shaking in her tone.

"Tish just told me to tell you that the party's about to start."

"Okay," a mumbled emitted from the other side of the door.

Nick paused in front of the door, tempted to turn back around and walk back down the stairs like he would have done last summer. Instead he found himself sighing. "Are you okay?"

After a few beats of silence, her bedroom door slowly creaked open to reveal Miley with tear- stained cheeks and red- rimmed eyes. "Do I look okay?"

Nick swallowed a building lump in his throat. "Were you crying the whole time?"

"Does it matter?" Miley asked bitterly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Miley laughed unemotionally as she strode back in her room and took a seat on her bed. "Since when did Nick Lucas ever want to talk to me about _my_ feelings?"

Nick crossed his arms in front of his chest and entered the small white bedroom he had spent so many hot summer days in. It felt so alien to him now. "A lot can change in a year. You said that."

Miley lay back on her bed, saying absolutely nothing. She didn't make any sign of moving or saying anything else, so after another few minutes, Nick stood up and left her alone.


	9. Summer: Day 8

It had been a little more than a week since their arrival, and it felt like Miley and Nick had seen each other for a total of two or three times instead of the usual 24/7. Every time Nick proposed a walk through the boardwalk or even just a meal, Miley would come up with a new excuse to pass. Sometimes he wished he had that old Miley Gregory back next to his ear and annoying him until he managed to give in.

A sharp memory filled his senses.

_"Nick! Nick! Nick!" Miley leaped up and down in front of the plasma TV he was currently playing Halo on. He had just gotten the newest version after weeks of begging, and he was obsessed. His 11 year old fingers flew across the buttons as his character exploded open another door._

_"Miley. Go away. I'm trying to concentrate," he grumbled, scrunching his eyebrows together as he aimed for the enemy. Most 10 year olds would have probably run away crying, but no. Not Miley._

_"You're no fun," she pouted, crossing her arms in front of her chest._

_"You're no fun either. Now go away," Nick rolled his eyes at her stubbornness._

_"Just an hour of shell searching and I promise I'll stop bothering you for the rest of summer!" She crossed her small fingers. Nick grumbled knowing that there was no other way he was going to get rid of her. He paused the game and followed her outside._

_The size of her smile that day must have been long enough to wrap around her head twice. The hour of shell searching she had promised had become four, and surprisingly, Nick didn't mind. For those four hours, he actually enjoyed himself. By the time they got back to the beach house, both were dusted over in sand, sweat, and pocket fulls of seashells._

_"What do we do with these?" Nick asked as he dropped his shells on the carpeted floor. Miley's smile brightened as she ran out of the room and returned with a small glass jar. First, she dropped her shells inside and Nick followed by dropping his. "What now?"_

_Miley glanced at the half- full jar of shells and shrugged. "Now we fill it up. Every summer we can bury the shells we find and start over the next summer. And then when we're old and wrinkly, we can go back and find all the shells again. There has to be gazillions by then!"_

_Nick wanted to say what his friends would have said back home; that it was stupid and immature. But then he would be lying. He grinned and closed the lid of the jar._

_Looking back now, the 18 year old Nick Lucas realized he never went back to that video game. Not once._

The curly- haired 18 year old drove down the familiar streets of Palmer Beach, Virginia when he noticed a familiar figure step out of a small square building. Nick slowed Tish's old Ford pick- up truck and stopped in front of the sobbing girl.

"Miley?" Nick called out, stepping out of the truck to see what was going on.

The brunette snapped around quickly to the sound of his voice. The moment she met eyes with his deep shade of brown, her two feet raced down the opposite side of the street. Instinctively, Nick quickly chased after her. To his advantage, his legs and muscles had grown longer and stronger than last summer and it didn't take long until he managed to catch up to her.

"Miley. What's wrong?" he panted, grasping her shoulders and forcing her to face him.

The 16 year old girl's sobs became louder as she locked her eyes to the smooth concrete. Her hands grasped around her stomach in an act of hugging herself. Nick took a step forward and placed a hand on her arm to calm her, but Miley's body cringed away as if his touch burned her.

"Don't touch me," she growled under her breath.

"I'm sorry," Nick apologized confused as he took a step back. "I thought you were meeting up with friends…"

Miley hugged her stomach and shook her head, sobbing quietly. Nick swallowed a dense lump in his throat as he held out his hand. "At least let me take you home."

"I can't… Not now."

Nick placed his hands on the sides of his waist. "Tish and Denise left an hour ago to shop and Joe's with his girlfriend. No one's home."

Finally, the sobbing brunette stepped forward but she didn't take his held out hand "Nick?" she asked quietly. For just a moment, Nick saw the innocent girl he had spent so many summers with. "Don't tell anyone."

Though he wasn't sure what he wasn't supposed to tell, he managed to nod his head. Nick walked her back to the truck silently. She slipped into the familiar leather seats with all the ice cream stains from their clumsy childhood years and turned so her back was to him. She rested her head on the window and curled herself into a fetal position, keeping a shaking hand to her stomach the entire time.

Nick felt his heart freeze over when he read the name of the building he had caught Miley exiting. Suddenly, the realization of the 'secret' she had wanted him to keep slammed into his senses in full speed. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't speak. In that one moment, he felt the walls of his world crumbling into pieces with every passing second.

Miley had left an abortion clinic.


	10. Summer: Day 9

**_A/N: Sorry. I know it's short. I just wanted to get this scene out of the way. The next one will be longer than usual. Thanks for the reviews. Finally got to 100! _**

* * *

When the two teenagers returned to the beach house, everything was still. Even the usual murmurs of shouts and music coming from the beach had hummed down to a whisper. Nick threw the car keys on the table and watched as Miley followed behind him.

"Please tell me you were volunteering there."

Miley glanced at the floor, not meeting his eyes. "I would be lying."

Nick ran a hand through his disheveled curls, feeling a sense of desperation roll over him. "Then what other reason would you be there? Because the Miley Gregory I know wouldn't be stupid enough to…" Nick paused when he saw the expression on Miley's face.

Nick felt his heart drop as he covered his face with his hands, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is impossible… this is impossible, " he repeated over and over again.

"Please don't be mad," she sobbed, her voice lowering to a whisper.

Nick fell silent. The Miley Gregory he had spent all those past summers with couldn't have done this. She would never have been in this situation. Not this early. She was the crazy bund of energy that would sneak them all ice cream at the middle of the night; the loudest burper you would ever meet, and the most innocent girl you would have ever had the luck to know. This wasn't her.

"Does Tish know?" Nick mumbled, collapsing on a plush sofa.

"Know what?"

"That you're pregnant!" Nick found himself yelling. He tucked his head in between his hands. "That you 'were' pregnant."

Miley crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to control her convulsing sobs. "No, she doesn't know… no one was supposed to know."

"You're only 16, Miles," Nick croaked out, glancing up at the crying girl. She was still so young. This wasn't supposed to happen to girls like her. He noticed that she was still clutching onto her stomach as if holding onto something she would never let go. "Did it hurt?" he asked quietly.

She gnawed on her bottom lip, tears slipping down her cheeks. "So, so much."

"You should have told us first, before you…" he stopped suddenly, not even able to let the words escape his lips.

"How was I supposed to tell you that I was pregnant? My mom would have hated me forever. She had so many plans for me… I couldn't, I couldn't do it. I was desperate." She wiped away a pool of tears at the bridge of her nose and studied Nick through tear blurred eyes. "Say something."

Nick shook his head again. "Sorry. I'm just so angry."

"You're angry? I'm the one who has to live with the guilt of this for the rest of my life, Nick. I murdered my child. When I have children, this… what I did today, it will always be there. I killed my baby," she yelled, tears beginning to stream across her heated cheeks. "Stop being so selfish. You're not the one in this mess. I am."

Nick shot up in his chair, anger and confusion piling on top of one another. "If you hadn't been so irresponsible and got yourself knocked up, you wouldn't even be in this mess!"

The next few moments happened so fast, Nick could barely realize what happened. A sharp sting planted itself on his right cheek, Miley's trembling hand was raised in mid- air, and her eyes filled with fear and disbelief. "Nick… I'm so sorry," she murmured under her breath. She turned on her heel quickly and disappeared down the corridor.

The last sound Nick could hear was the slam of a door before silence settled in. Nick collapsed on the couch and placed his head in his hands, trying to figure out how everything could have gone so wrong.


	11. Summer: Day 10

_Nick was thirteen years old when he first found out. He had been sprawled out on the couch playing video games with the boy from next door when a panting Joe comes running in. His wind chapped cheeks held back a wicked grin._

_"Guess what I found out," he sing- songed, skipping into the room and ruffling his brother's dark curls._

_"What?" Nick mumbled quickly, keeping his eyes glued to the TV the entire time. He was so close to winning the game._

_"Somebody likes you."_

_That caught his attention. He barely knew anyone in town, not to mention they had just arrived at Palmer a few weeks ago. "Who?"_

_"It's a girl."_

_"Okay… Thanks for the obvious."_

_Joe rolled his light hazel eyes and shoved Nick lightly. "Guess."_

_Nick rummaged through the memory in his mind, trying to remember a name or face. "Was it that blonde at the bottle game?"_

_"No."_

_"That girl from the beach yesterday."_

_"Nope."_

_Nick exhaled a short sigh and rolled his eyes as he began to lose interest. "Okay. I'm tired of this. Just tell me."_

_Joe's lips twisted into a small smirk before he answered. "MILEY. Miley is in love with you. Like HUGELY in love."_

_Nick practically laughed out loud from the insanity of the statement. "No. Seriously. Tell me."_

_"I am being serious!" Joe retorted. "She told me a few minutes ago. I kind of spilled out of her."_

_Nick felt his cheeks heating up as the new information settled in. He quickly returned his attention back to the TV and continued the video game he had paused. "So?" Joe broke in with a questioning glance._

_"So what?"_

_"So what are you going to do with Miley? Are you guys going to date? Because if you are, you have to tell me first."_

_Nick felt something squeeze at the pit of his stomach. He liked Miley, but not like that. "That's disgusting. We're practically family… She's not my type either," Nick lied coldly, just wanting Joe to get off his back with the awkward subject._

_It was at that moment that a heavy sound of footsteps pounded from behind them. Both boys turned around from their seats to catch a teary- eyed Miley speeding up the stairs. Nick felt guilt rise in his throat, suffocating him with each shaky breath. But his pride surmounted his guilt as he turned back around to his video game, pushing away the urge to run after her. This wasn't his problem._

_Joe shoved his brother again. "You're such an asshole sometimes," he scoffed before jogging up the stairs after Miley._

_

* * *

_

Nick rolled around in his bed for the 100th time that night, not able to get the memory out of his head. Every time he closed his eyes, it was all he could see. Finally, he pulled himself out of bed and silently tip- toed down the stairs. He slid open the glass door and stepped out to the back lawn. He wasn't surprised to see Miley in the pool at such a late hour. She always loved to take midnight swims.

The only difference was that instead of swimming laps, she was lying on her back, her eyes focused on the clear starry sky.

"What are you doing?" Nick whispered, trying his best not to surprise her.

She didn't turn around to look at him, but instead she just whispered back, "Thinking."

"About what?"

"A lot of things," she answered simply, obviously not wanting to go into any more detail than that.

Nick hesitated for a moment, gnawing on his bottom lip. "Can I join you?" he finally asked.

Miley stayed silent, and Nick took that as a good enough answer. He slipped his thin t- shirt off and threw it at his feet before slowly entering the pool of cold water. He could feel Miley's stare as he swam closer to her, his bare chest bobbing above the water. He mimicked her position and floated on his back, letting the water carry him. He felt his body shiver in reaction as his hand grazed Miley's.

"You didn't tell anyone," Miley announced quietly after a few minutes of silent floating.

"I didn't think you wanted me to."

Miley stayed silent and inhaled a deep breath, pulling her head further back until her hair fanned out in billowy waves around her head in a halo.

"Was it his?" The guy from the beach, I mean?" Nick asked shyly. "Did you tell him before you… you know."

Miley closed her eyes. "Yeah. But it doesn't matter now."

"Are you still together."

"We haven't been together for awhile."

Nick paused. "Did you love him?"

He watched her body stiffen on top of the water. "I did."

Nick inhaled a shaky breath as he closed his own eyes. "Do you regret it?"

"Everyone had regrets,Nick, but it's too late. I can't change what I've already done."

Nick reached his hand out and even through closed eyes, his hand found Miley's. Hesitantly, he interlaced his fingers with her small hands. She didn't pull away. "I still can't imagine you as a mother… not yet, not now."

A long pause of silence followed as both teenagers lay floating peacefully, no one saying a word. "That's why I did it," Miley finally whispered, a soft sob slipping through her lips. "I couldn't either."

Nick turned his head towards her, trying his best to stay above water and study her at the same time. He didn't say anything else, but he squeezed her fingers knowing that it was all he had left to give to her.

Finally, after a few moments of still silence, he felt her squeeze back.


	12. Summer: Day 11

Even with Miley's closed attitude, the rest of the inhabitants of the house didn't seem as affected. Denise and Tish were constantly up to something new whether it was scavenging around town, biking down the beach, or even just sitting upstairs and talking until dinner. Joe, of course, was still with his new girlfriend, which left Nick alone to figure everything out himself.

He had kept Miley's secret, knowing that it wasn't his secret to tell, but that didn't mean he could forget it either. It would always be there. He turned as he heard footsteps echo from behind him. "Miley?" he asked instantly, turning around to catch the brunette tip toeing towards the kitchen.

She jumped as if caught doing something wrong. "I was just getting some water."

"Oh," Nick mumbled, turning around and not saying anything else. Finally, as he heard her footsteps pattering back up stairs, Nick found himself turning around. "Hey. Do you want to do something today?"

Miley paused at the foot of the stairs, one hand resting on the banister as she turned around slowly. "Today?"

"Yeah. I have nothing else to do, and I hate seeing you inside the whole day, and… we just haven't hung out all summer."

A soft, sad smile danced across her lips as she met his brown eyes. Finally, she mumbled a quick, "Okay." She ran upstairs to change for a few minutes, before coming back in jeans and a hoodie. One thing Nick noticed was that ever since the abortion, Miley had been insecure about her body. She refused to show almost any skin.

"Are you ready?" Nick asked, not making a comment about her clothing in the 90 degree weather. Miley nodded slowly and followed him outside.

"What are we doing?" she asked meekly, her voice squeaking as if she hadn't spoken in years.

"Just follow me," Nick smiled encouragingly as he grabbed for her hand. She didn't pull back, but instead tried her best to keep up with his long glides. They trudged across the beach until they reached the shore line where the ocean skimmed their bare toes.

"Nick. What are we—" Her voice stopped as she noticed the small glass jar he was holding in his other hand. Nick popped open the jar's lid and laid it on the hot sand. Finally he grabbed a handful of shells, raised his arm, and threw the shells from last summer into the ocean. He brought his hand back to throw some more, but Miley stopped him.

"What are you doing? Those are our shells!"

"We empty the jar every summer," Nick reminded her.

"We bury the shells, not throw them into the ocean! They'll be lost forever!" Miley explained erratically.

"Well, we're trying something new," Nick shrugged before taking another handful of shells and throwing them out into the open sea. Miley grabbed the jar out of his hands and started gathering some of the shells that scattered on the floor. Nick bent down and grabbed her wrists, stopping her.

"You have to learn how to let go, Miles. This, these shells, they're from the past. They're from summers and summers ago." Nick paused and helped Miley up. She watched him intently as he grabbed another handful of shells and threw them in an incoming wave. They surfaced for a few moments before being pulled by the current and disappearing forever. "Don't you think it's time for a new start?"

Miley paused, the shells she had picked up from the ground still grasped in her hands. Nick watched her, holding his breath and waiting for her next move. Finally, Miley placed a hand to her stomach, at the approximate area where her baby would have currently been sleeping. She shut her eyes before pulling her hand back and releasing the shells into the roaring ocean. They flew farther than any throw Nick had made so far. Like all the other shells, they were pulled onto the shore for a few moments before being pulled back into the current and disappearing.

"What now?" Miley asked in a whisper, glancing at Nick.

"Now," Nick sighed, picking up the empty jar lying in the sand. "Now, we start over."


	13. Summer: Day 12

Nick and Miley slipped through the restaurant doors, and approached the concierge' s booth. Nick adjusted the tie around his neck awkwardly, and Miley flashed him a look to stop fidgeting. "Excuse me, but I think our friend is already here. Maybe under the name Joe Lucas?"

The tall, young man glanced at the small computer resting on his podium before nodding. He led them through curves and curved of candle lit dinners and champagne filled glasses before stopping at a small table where two other people were already waiting. "Hey, guys. You made it," Joe grinned as he sat up from his chair and leaned over to hug Nick and Miley. Nick noticed how Miley would tense when Joe touched her, or even whenever she made contact with people in general.

"This is Demi," Joe smiled, motioning towards his dark- haired companion. Slightly curled jet- black hair fell loosely around her shoulders, and a wide perfect white smile displayed on her bright red lips.

"Hi. It's great to finally meet you," Nick smiled politely, leaning forward for a small hug. Miley just waved and took a seat.

"I know you," Demi said, squinting her eyes at Miley. "We went to dance class together, didn't we?"

Miley nodded and took a sip from her water. "Two or three years ago, I think."

"I knew it," Demi grinned. "How's dancing going for you? You were basically the star of the class."

Nick and Joe tensed up and glanced at Miley, who seemed a little shaken by the question also. "Actually, I don't dance much anymore."

The dark- haired girl's eyes widened to tremendous sizes. "Why? You were so talented at it."

"Life got in the way," Miley laughed awkwardly. Nick could tell it was forced. "Things happened, and dancing just didn't seem to fit anymore"

Demi's smile dimmed as she flashed Miley a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry to hear that." Miley nodded slowly and focused her attention to gulping down the glass of water on her table.

"So," Nick continued, quickly changing the subject. "How did you even afford this Joe?"

"Used up all my savings from last summer. Demi loves this restaurant, and I thought it would be a perfect place for you guys all to meet."

"But did we seriously have to dress up?" Nick asked, fidgeting with his tie again.

Joe laughed. "If you wore anything less, they would have thrown you out."

"Sorry. My parents took me here almost every week. They liked to spoil me," Demi apologized with a sly smile.

Nick glanced at Demi's direction and examined her silk chiffon dress. "Wow. You guys must be really, really wealthy."

Her pale face burned a slight crimson. "Not really." But they all knew she was lying. Joe looked a little uncomfortable from the mention of all the money, so once again, the subject was changed to everyone's plans for the rest of summer. Miley stayed silent for more than half the night, and whenever Demi tried to get her back into the conversation, Miley would just reply a simple one word answer.

After paying the large check and grabbing their coats, they entered the parking lot to return home. Right before they all made their separate ways and Joe dropped Demi off, they turned to Nick and Miley for final goodbyes.

"It was really nice to meet you. We should hang out again soon," Demi smiled brightly as she leaned in for a quick hug.

"Yeah. That'd be great," Nick smiled, stuffing his hands in my jacket pockets.

"And it was really nice to see you again, Miley," Demi smiled hesitantly, not really sure on how to act with Miley's slightly closed attitude. Miley managed a tiny smile as she waved instead of leaning in for a hug.

"And let me just say, you guys make the cutest couple!" Demi squealed, clapping her hands together.

Nick eyes widened as he glanced between him and Miley. "Oh. No. We're not—"

Miley's face streaked red as she stuttered, "We're just friends."

"Really?" Demi cocked her head to the side, and examined the two. "I guess it's just the way you guys are when you're together."

Nick and Miley glanced at each other, and when their eyes met, both quickly narrowed their eyes to their feet. Nick felt his cheeks heating up as he stuffed his hands into his pockets deeper. Finally, Demi gave them one last wave before skipping over to Joe's car and driving away.

"She was nice," Nick mumbled awkwardly.

"She was," Miley smiled softly. "Just like I remember."

Nick glanced over at Miley and stepped closer. "Are you ready to go home?"

Miley nodded swiftly and stepped up to take Nick's hand. It wasn't exactly an act of romance, but rather just her way of making sure that he was still there. That he would always be there. Together, hand in hand, they made their way back home.


	14. Summer: Day 13

Nick shuffled downstairs in a hurry before finding Denise sitting on the couch watching TV alone. "Hey," he greeted hesitantly. "Where's Tish?"

"She's taking a nap. You know her, she gets tired easily," Denise explained with a soft smile. Nick shrugged it off, wondering what was making Tish so tired all of a sudden. He skipped out to the back deck where everyone else was waiting.

"Hey, guys," Nick grinned as he slipped into the lawn chair next to Miley's. He glanced over to Demi and Joe who were all over each other so much that they didn't even seem to hear Nick's greeting. Finally, after a few minutes, the two pulled away for air and turned to notice the other two teenagers looking away awkwardly.

"Hi," Demi grinned, smacking her lips together to reapply her lip gloss.

"Hi…" Nick mumbled, trying to bite back a roll of laughter.

"Are you guys going in for a swim or not?" Joe called out, before racing across the stone pavement and cannon- balling into the pool. Demi followed after him with a loud shrill squeal of joy. By the time both were in the water, they were already wrapped into each other's arms once again. Nick glanced at Miley who didn't seem to have any intention of getting up.

She hugged her white cotton t-shirt that clung to her body like armor, and shook her head. "It's fine. I'll probably swim a little later."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded her head and sat back in her chair. Nick shrugged his shoulders and slipped into the pool, swimming by himself while Demi and Joe continued their make- out session on the other side of the pool. After a few minutes of wading around, Demi's loud voice screamed, "CHICKEN!"

By the time Nick spun around, Demi was already wobbling around on Joe's shoulders, trying her best to balance. "No fair. I don't have a partner."

"Get Miley to come in the pool!" Joe rolled his eyes as if it were the most obvious thing on earth. Nick sighed, realizing how clueless Joe was on Miley's mental and emotional state at the moment. Quickly, he pulled himself out of the pool and approached Miley who was laid out on the lawn chair by herself. Just from one look at her made Nick upset. She always looked so sad.

"Nick! What are you doing?" Miley screamed as he raised her up in his arms. She was suddenly kicking and squealing, trying to get him to put her back down, but Nick was too quick. He raced over to the pool and threw Miley in before quickly jumping in and following after her.

Her light brown hair bobbed onto the pool's surface as she spit out water and wiped at her face. "I hate you!" she grumbled, but a small smile was beginning to form on her lips. Nick splashed water in her direction and smirked.

"You were taking too long. Now get on my shoulders and let's kick Joe and Demi's asses," he grinned down at her. She seemed hesitant as she swam towards him, her white cotton t- shirt that she refused to remove puffing around her like a cloud. He grasped onto her long, smooth legs after she climbed on. Unlike Demi and Joe, she had managed to balance perfectly on the first try. Maybe she hadn't forgotten everything from all those ballet lessons after all.

"Bring it on, brother. Bring. It. On," Joe chuckled as Demi squealed and gripped onto Joe's hair.

Nick glanced up to see Miley smirking down at him. For a second, she almost looked like the glasses wearing, brace- faced Miley Gregory from last summer, but a hard shove backwards stole his attention as he stumbled back and regained his balance.

"You asked for it now," Nick grinned as he felt Miley lean forward and actually begin to enjoy herself.

After loss after loss in Chicken, Demi and Joe climbed out of the pool and proposed a game of truth or dare. Joe and Nick agreed, and Miley just nodded her head in silence. "So, truth or dare?" Demi asked as she leaned forward to eye the group.

Nick and Joe backed away knowing they already had their turns, leaving Miley alone to decide. "Truth," she finally sighed, scratching her arm nervously as she awaited the question.

Demi gnawed on her bottom lip as she processed her question. "Okay," she exclaimed, sitting up and staring Miley in the eye. "Who was your first kiss?" Miley stiffened as she glanced down at her lap. "C'mon," Demi urged on. "Is it someone in this group?"

To everyone's surprise, Miley nodded slowly, a lump building in her throat. Demi's eyes widened as she turned to Joe and slapped him in the head. He cringed away and rubbed his forehead. "Hey!" he yelled, placing his hands up in surrender. "It wasn't me."

Miley shook her head and glanced up to meet a pair of soft chocolate brown eyes. "It was Nick," she whispered. "Nick was my first kiss."


	15. Summer: Day 14

"C'mon. What are you? Scared?" a 14 year old Nick teased as he watched a 13 year old Miley struggle up the steep dirt path. She huffed her cheeks trying to look brave and leaped the last step to reach Nick. For a second, she lost balance and she ended up grabbing onto the sleeve of his t- shirt. He pulled her in instantly, trying his best to keep her in balance. "You okay?"

Her face heated up instantly as she released her hold on him. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

"It's fine. We're here anyway," Nick smiled, his chest heaving from the long climb up. He glanced back at the twisted pathway and saw Denise, Tish, and Joe still half- way down. They were going to take awhile. "C'mon," Nick waved Miley over until they reached their final destination. He took a seat on the edge of the rock and swung his feet over so he was sitting on the edge. Miley plopped down next to him and swung her feet back and forth.

"Hey, Nick," Miley asked quietly as he turned towards her. "Do you think I'm ugly?"

Nick wanted to crack a joke, but from the expression displayed on Miley's face, he knew she was being absolutely serious. "Why are you even asking? Because of your new braces?"

"I don't know," she shrugged shyly, which seemed so out of character for her. "Joe said I looked like a geek in them."

"Well, I think you look like a cute geek."

A soft smile curled onto the girl's thin pink lips. "Really?"

"Really," Nick smiled encouragingly. He never found her ugly, and he didn't think he ever could.

After a few moments of silence, Miley's smile dimmed. "But how come guys don't like me?"

"How do you know that?"

"I've never been asked out… I haven't even been kissed by a boy yet," she sighed, toying with the ends of her hair. Instinctively, before any of them knew what the other was doing, Nick leaned forward and pecked Miley on the lips. It was short and tense, but it was still a kiss.

"And now you have," Nick smiled and nudged her with his shoulder playfully. Miley's eyes had grown to tremendous sizes as she brought a shaky finger to her lips.

"You just stole my first kiss," Miley whispered more to herself than him. "I can't believe you just did that."

Nick shrugged it off and continued swinging his feet. "It was nothing. Just two friends, right?"

Miley wouldn't look at him, but instead kept her gaze on her lap, her fingers still brushed against her lips. "Right," she mumbled.

Nick was wandering around the house when he stopped in front of Miley's door. She hadn't come out all day. Hesitantly, he brought his hand up towards the wood and knocked a few times. There wasn't any movement or sound, so he twisted the doorknob and smiled pleased as it swung open. He peeked inside to see Miley crouched in her sleep on the farthest side of her bed.

He walked in feeling like an intruder and sat on the edge of her small canopy bed, glancing over at the slumbering Miley. She was clinging onto a dark piece of paper that almost looked like a photograph. He reached over curiously to pluck the small photo out from her fingers, but she was too light a sleeper. She jolted up in her bed the instant Nick tugged it away.

"Nick!" she gasped, her hand resting over her chest as she tried to calm herself down. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry. I just came in to make sure you were alright."

Miley glanced around at her unmade bed and the sheets tangled in between her legs. "Yeah. I just had some dreams last night."

"Does it happen often?"

She shrugged, staying silent. Nick pushed it on. "Does it have anything to do with the sonogram in your hand." She glanced down at the small sonogram in her hand and sighed. Nick could see tears pushing through and he held out his arms towards her. She smiled, but didn't enter them. "I was going to keep the baby, you know" she whispered quietly, locking her gaze on her lap. "It was a girl. I even picked out the name."

Nick stole a glance at her, and watched helplessly as Miley began to tear softly. "What happened?"

"Life got in the way."

Finally, Nick didn't care if she didn't want his hugs. He leaned forward and pressed her head to his chest as he stroked her hair lightly. Miley didn't push away, but instead clung onto his shirt. "I want to start over, but it's too hard to let go."

"I know," Nick whispered. She continued to sob into his shirt. "What was it anyway?" he asked.

"What?"

"What were you going to name her?"

Miley paused, pressing herself closer to Nick. "Aubrey. Aubrey Gregory."


	16. Summer: Day 15

They had officially been there for almost a month. Half of summer was over, and Nick felt like everything was still incomplete. Luckily, Miley had slowly gotten better and happier in the past few weeks. She began to go outside more, to smile more. Nick walked over to her, his toes pressing into the hot sand as he dragged his ocean- wet feet down the beach's shoreline.

"How many did you find?" Nick asked as he approached her kneeling over a small pile of shells.

"Just a few," she smiled up at him. She grabbed the handful of colored and different shaped shells and dropped them in the small glass jar. They were half- way through filling it. "Do you think we're going to be able to finish?"

Nick glanced at the half- empty jar and shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. We've never failed from the summers before."

"Well, this summer isn't exactly like all the summers," Miley sighed, dusting herself off as she stood up. Nick said nothing and walked her back to the beach house. They spent the rest of the day talking and watching movies. Because Tish and Denise were always out together, and Joe was constantly with Demi, Nick and Miley had gotten closer. They had gotten so dependent on each other, it was as if, if one left, the other would topple over and shatter.

"So I heard you're captain of the baseball team," Miley smiled as she popped a cherry in her mouth.

"Since last May," he grinned proudly, popping his own cherry in his mouth. He stuck his tongue out with the knotted stem.

"Did you know that doing that means you're a good kisser."

Nick smirked and dropped the twisted stem on a napkin. "You would know."

The brunette's face burned up like a wildfire as she looked back down. Nick snapped his lips shut also, regretting his word choice. "So how are you doing?" Nick asked timidly.

Finally, a soft smile twisted onto the brunette's lips as she popped another cherry in her mouth. "Getting through," she shrugged. Nick felt his own lips tug upwards just from watching her smile. She glanced up and caught him staring, feeling a blush creeping up her cheeks. "What?" she asked with a curious glance.

"You just look pretty today," Nick smiled.

Miley rolled her deep blue- gray eyes at him. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Flirt with me, and then completely ignore me for the rest of the summer," she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "And don't even try denying it."

Nick stared up at her utterly confused. "I don't know what you're talking about—"

"That," Miley waved her hand at him. "That smile and those eyes and 'you look pretty today'. That's called flirting, Nick."

"I was just being nice," he explained quickly. Miley shook her head in exasperation and stood up from her chair.

"You've known I've loved you ever since we were 12, and you didn't do anything about it. You wanted to know why I ended up dating that other jerk? Because the other guy in line never stepped up." She shook her head disappointedly, and dropped her gaze from Nick's eyes. She turned on her heels to walk away, but Nick raced after her.

"Miley. Wait," Nick called out, grabbing her arm and urging her to look at him. By the time, she turned her head to stare into his brown eyes, they were already tearing. She twisted her arm away and took a step back and another and another and another.

She shook her head at him and brought her hands up to stop him from approaching. "No, Nick. I'm done waiting."

"Then don't," he whispered, stepping closer and closer. With each step, Miley's held out hands seem to drop closer to her sides until there was nothing left separating the space between him and her. Hesitantly, he brought a hand to cup the side of her cheek. She shivered in response.

"Don't this," Miley whispered weakly, staring straight into his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because… What's the difference between then and now? Why do you want to be with me now? Is it because I'm suddenly _pretty?_" She spit the word out as if it were a curse instead of what most people would call a gift.

Nick shook his head slowly and moved closer, closing the gap between them. "No, because back then I was stupid."

A playful smirk danced across her lips as she tilted her face up innocently. "And the difference is?"

Nick chuckled under his breath and moved closer, his lips hovering directly over hers. "Just kiss me."

And she did.


	17. Summer: Day 16

The next morning, Nick woke up with a large happy grin slapped across his face. His hands instictivelly brushed across his lips which had just kissed Miley the night before. After the kiss, Nick and Miley had pulled away, both left panting for air. They didn't say much after, but when she finally excused herself for bed, she had leaned forward again and kissed him in a short peck.

"What are you smiling about" Joe asked with a mouthful of cereal as his brother entered the kitchen. Nick opened the familiar cabinet to reveal a shelf full of bowls, just where it always was every summer. He grabbed the porcelain and took a seat across from his brother.

"I just had a really good night." He couldn't help but grin.

Joe flashed him an odd look. "Okay…" He eventually brought his attention back to his breakfast, his interest in the topic vanishing just as fast as it appeared. A few minutes later, Miley entered the kitchen with a smile almost as large as Nick's. Joe glanced in between the two teenagers. "Okay. What's going on? What do I not know?"

Both bit back laughs as they shrugged their shoulders innocently, leaving Joe to ponder on his own thoughts. Joe rolled his dark eyes at the two and stood up from his chair. "You know what, I don't even care. I have to go see Demi for suit shopping anyway."

"Suit shopping?"

"I'm meeting her parents tonight, and I rather not look like a complete idiot," he answered stiffly before placing his glass bowl in the sink and striding away quickly.

"Good morning," Miley chirped as she took the seat Joe had just inhabited.

"Good morning," Nick smiled back, his cheeks slightly reddening.

"So what do you want to do today?" she asked with a short smile creeping at the corners of her lips.

"That depends," Nick explained slowly. "Are you sure you're ready to go outside again?"

Miley paused for a few moments, her eyebrows knitting together in thought. Ever since the abortion, Miley hadn't spent much time outside, other than the few times she was on the beach which was only a few yards away from the house. Finally, after a long pause of silence, she glanced up at Nick with a shy smile and nodded.

* * *

"How did you even find this place?" Miley asked as she took another tremendous bite into her pizza. "Potatoes on a pizza. Who even thinks this up?"

Nick chuckled to himself as he watched Miley devour her lunch, reaching over to wipe a bit of tomato sauce smeared at the corners of her lips. It was the most she had eaten since the incident, and color was finally beginning to spread into her cheeks again.

"I ate here with Selena once," Nick explained casually. Selena was a girl Nick had shortly dated a few summers ago, though it was nothing serious.

"Selena," Miley repeated. "Whatever happened to her?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Last time I saw her, she dumped me and went for the blonde guy from the surf shop."

Miley laughed and nudged Nick's knee with hers. "If she could have seen what a stud you are now, I doubt she would have even glanced at him."

A smirk spread across Nick's pursed lips. "Look who's talking."

Miley's face blossomed a slight pink before finishing off her pizza in one last bite. "So about last night…" she swallowed, her eyes suddenly beginning to dart across the room nervously.

The tone in her voice brought panic through Nick's expression. His smile dropped suddenly. "You regret it?"

Miley's eyes widened quickly as she took in his words. "No… Do you?"

"No," Nick sighed, relief rolling over him. "Well, what do you want to talk about then?"

Miley glanced down at the table with a shy smile building across her lips. "I know it's stupid and all, but I guess I was just wondering what our relationship status is now."

Nick watched her closely before leaning forward, tilting her head forward and kissing her. "Does that answer your question?" Nick asked playfully as he pulled away. Her lips curled into a half- smile.

"If I say no, will you kiss me again?"

Nick flashed her a wicked grin and shrugged his shoulders innocently. His hand snaked across the table to reach for hers, but Miley's hand suddenly dropped along with her smile as her eyes shot right past Nick's shoulder.

He twisted around in his chair to see Liam entering the restaurant doors with a tall, thin blonde basically attached to his hip. When Nick turned back around, Miley's face had turned a sickly pale.

"Do you want to leave?" Nick asked, glancing worriedly as Miley's frozen expression.

The brunette stayed silent for a few moments, her eyes trailing after Liam's every move. It wasn't until the two passed their table that Liam finally took notice of their presence. The moment his eyes glazed over Miley, he paused for the slightest second. In that one second, Miley and him seemed to have been having a silent conversation of hours, as if the world had halted for that one moment just for them.

Nick felt almost envy from the way she still looked at him. After everything he had made her go through, and even after he had abandoned her at the time she needed him most, Nick could tell she still cared about him. All he wanted to do was jump up from his seat and shove Liam to the ground, but Nick knew that Miley didn't want that. He also knew she still secretly wanted Liam back, no matter how many times she would try to deny it. It was just a connection that would always be there.

Once the second was over, Liam had shook his head and walked away as if he hadn't seen Miley at all. Nick sat there in silence, watching Miley breathe in and out, her eyes shut tight as if wishing away a nightmare. The color that had just inhabited her cheeks a few moments ago were now washed away with the same sad expression she had been wearing the days and weeks before. It was like they were back to step one.

Finally, Miley glanced up, her blue- gray eyes twinkling at Nick. "We should go now," she whispered with a melancholy smile. She stood up from her chair before taking one last long look at Liam, who was already chatting up with his blonde companion.

"You okay?" Nick asked, grabbing her hand and lacing her fingers through his.

Miley slowly turned around to look at him. A soft, sad smile now danced across her lips. "I think so."

He mirrored her weak smile and walked of the restaurant, hand in hand.


	18. Summer: Day 17

The curly- haired 17 year old sat across his brother who was sprawled lazily on the couch surfing through local channels. Joe grumbled to himself in frustration from the fact that Tish and Miley never had enough care to put cable in the house. Nick reached for the remote and turned off the TV, earning a few groans of protest from his brother.

"What the hell, Nick!" Joe exclaimed as he sat up from his lying position.

"I have to tell you something important."

"If it's about that letter you hid under you during Scrabble last Friday, then we already know."

Nick rolled his soft, brown eyes and kept a serious expression on his face. He gnawed on his bottom lip, trying to think of the best way to break the news to his brother. "Joe… A few days ago, something happened."

"What?"

Nick glanced down at his hands, before finally glancing up to meet his brother's heavy dark stare. "I kissed Miley."

Joe's face stayed blank and lifeless. Nick continued.

"I kissed Miley, and we're together now."

Still, Joe said nothing, did nothing.

"JOE!" Nick shook his brother in frustration. "Say something!"

Before he could see what was happening, Joe sprung forward and swiped for the remote back. He settled back into his lying position and continued his channel surfing. "I already know."

Nick's eyes widened in surprise. "What? How?"

"We saw you both kissing in the living room a few night ago."

A deep shade of red spread across Nick's cheeks as he felt himself heat up in embarrassment. "We?"

"Oh yeah. Mom and Tish know too."

Nick watched his brother in bewilderment. "That's it?"

"What did you want?" Joe asked with a small laugh.

"No surprised faces, no shouts, no hitting me in the head?"

Joe chuckled and flashed him a skeptical look. "I'm really not that surprised. We all knew it would happen someday. You were just stupid enough to make her wait that long."

"What are you talking about?"

Joe grumbled in frustration as he sat up to look Nick in the eye. "You know how long Miley's been in love with you, how she secretly pined for you while you meandered around this beach house for all those summers completely ignoring her and having summer flings with all those other girls. And the fact that you knew she loved you, and you did nothing about it…" He paused, moving closer to his brother. "I guess I'm just trying to say, don't hurt her. She's been waiting for a longer time than you think."

"I'm not going to hurt her," Nick answered tensely, his jaw set.

Joe studied his brother for a good few minutes, before lying back on the couch. Nick sat there unmoving, just letting his thoughts grasp every inch of him; every single thought filled with Miley Gregory. "You know, that's why Mom and Tish basically hated every single girlfriend you had," Joe finally broke in.

"What do you mean?"

"They…. Everyone always planned for you to be with Miley. It was something set in stone."

Nick felt himself freeze, wondering how everyone could have been waiting for this moment and he had continued on with every summer clueless and oblivious. It was at that moment that Miley entered the room with a slight spring to her step. It made Nick a little more relieved to know that the awkward incident with Liam hadn't affected her too much. He didn't want drama. He just wanted the simple care- free Miley from all those summers ago. Was that too much to ask?

"What are you guys up to?" Miley asked as she took the seat in between Joe and Nick. She crossed her legs under her and glanced in between the two brothers.

"Gossiping," Joe smirked.

Miley's blue- gray eyes clouded with confusion as she glanced in between Joe and Nick with a questioning look. Nick decided to fill her in.

"I told Joe about us."

Miley's eyes widened as she squeaked out a weak, "Oh."

Suddenly, Joe stood up from his seat and ruffled his dark waves of hair, trying to put it into place but rather just creating a bigger mess than it was before. "I'm going to go outside. I rather not watch you guys undress each other with your eyes all day."

Both Miley and Nick blushed a deep shade of crimson as they watched Joe walk away. When the screen door closed shut, Nick finally shuffled closer to Miley. He was careful on not leaning too much into her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She was still sensitive, and even the slightest wrong touch could throw her off.

"Are you hungry?" Nick asked as he pushed back a loose strand of light brown hair from her forehead. She shook her head. "Are you tired?" She shook her head again, but I knew she was lying. She hadn't been sleeping well recently.

"Let's just stay here for today," she proposed with a weak smile. Nick interlaced their fingers together and kissed her forehead lightly as if her pale white skin were porcelain glass.

"Of course."

After a few minutes of watching a show on the History channel about Ancient China, Nick felt Miley stir underneath his arm. He turned towards her and found her biting her lip, something she only performed when she was thinking or worried... or both. Nick nudged her with his arm and raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking about?"

She seemed unsure on how to answer as she opened her lips and shut them close repeatedly. "It''s nothing," she finally shook her head.

"No. Really. Tell me."

She sighed softly knowing there was no way she could take her words back now. "Do you love me?" she asked quietly Her voice had become such low a whisper that Nick almost hadn't caught her words. He sat there for a moment, not knowing how to answer. He rubbed the back of his neck tensely.

"Of course. We've known each other forever," Nick finally explained.

She shook her head slowly. "No, Nick. I already know that... but are you _in love _with me?"

Nick tensed quickly, his breath hitching. "I... i don't know yet."

Miley's gaze dropped to her lap as she sighed a short, "Oh."

"I'm guessing that's not the answer you wanted..."

"No. It's not that." she shook her head quickly, placing her hands on his chest. "I wanted you to be honest."

Nick layered his hands over hers and squeezed them. "Do _you_ love _me_?"

A soft, sad smile curled onto the ends of her lips. "You already know the answer to that. It's been the same one since we were 12."

Nick smiled timidly back before leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers.


	19. Summer: Day 18

"I think it's time for a celebration!" Tish announced at the dinner table. She had just slowly began to recover after a few days with a bad cold. The strange part was that Denise looked a bit more worried than Tish the entire time.

"For what?" Nick asked curiously, adding another helping of Tish's home-made margarita pizza onto his plate.

"For me finally getting better, and for you two," she winked over at Miley and Nick with a sly grin. "And just because I think it's been long overdue for a celebration."

"But Tish," Denise began, her eyes clouded with worry, her shoulders tense and rigid.

"No buts, Denny. We're having a party tomorrow, and we're going to drink and feel young again," she exclaimed with a teasing grin, nudging her best friend as if they actually were teenagers again.

Denise dropped her head in her hands with a slow, drawling sigh, shaking her head over and over again. "Tish, you have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, remember?"

The light blonde rolled her deep gray eyes towards her best friend. "That's because I made the appointment when I still had my cold. I'm better now. Just cancel it, Denny."

"Tish, they said—"

Her jaw set as she inhaled a sharp breath, her cheeks sucked in; something she only did when she was growing angry. "No, Denise. Don't."

The aging brunette shut her eyes and simply shook her head again. "But—"

"Please…" Tish's voice had become a soft whisper, almost a sort of moan. Her eyes clouded with a strange, out of place desperation. In all the years Nick had known her, he had never seen her… Begging, desperate. Not even close.

Denise paused for a few moments, staring back into her best friend's eyes for what felt like eternity. The other three young teenagers seated at the table watched as the two adults seemed to be having a deep, silent conversation through their eyes. Finally, Denise sat back in her chair, her lips shut tight in a straight pink line. She might have given in, but Nick could tell his mom wasn't happy about it.

A short second later, Tish let out her signature squeal and clamped a hand around Joe and Nick's hands who were sitting closest to her. "A party it is then. You two can invite anyone you want. You too Miley." She grinned at everyone at the table, and suddenly it was Tish back at dinner that night. The Tish that would sneak Nick and Joe ice cream at the middle of the night after Denise went to sleep, the Tish that would tuck them into bed and make up adventure stories on the spot that would fill Nick and Joe's dreams every night; the Tish they could proudly call a second mother.

After dinner, Tish and Denise had had gone upstairs to talk about matters that obviously weren't meant for the three teenager's ears. Joe, Nick, and Miley all spread out on the living room floor, just sitting there and drowning themselves in the tense silence.

"Something's wrong," Nick announced, his voice slightly shaking. All of that couldn't have just been for a stupid party. He knew it. Everyone knew it.

Joe glanced up at his brother, his chin propped up on one elbow. "I know," he answered simply.

Silence filled the conversation once again as the three friends buried themselves in their own personal thoughts and worries. Miley had been the one to break the silence first.

"It's Dad," she finally broke in.

Nick and Joe shared a secret look with each other before glancing back at Miley. She didn't meet either of their eyes as she focused her blank gaze back on her lap. "What do you mean? Isn't William in Arizona now?"

William Gregory was Miley's father, and Tish's husband for almost fifteen solid years. They had just recently split up a few years ago, and the divorce created a large jagged line in between their family. William wanted to take Miley away with him, calling Tish an 'unfit' mother. The seemingly unending battle lasted for a good few months before Miley's dad finally gave in, taking all his belongings and moving into a small apartment in Arizona.

The strangest part about the entire situation was Nick and Joe had never seen it coming. Although Miley's dad wasn't as present every summer as Tish was, that didn't mean he was a stranger. He visited the summer house almost every weekend and almost ever day off he had.

He also worked with animation. Every time he would walk through that screen door, Joe and Nick would pounce at his feet, begging for another cartoon drawing to add to their collections from home. The last picture he had ever drawn for them was tucked under one of the shelves somewhere in the summer house's guest rooms. Nick had forgotten to place it in his backpack no matter how many times Denise had reminded him. The next time they returned to the summer house, the divorce and the destruction left from it had already happened, and Nick was too angry to even touch the drawing.

Though Nick knew her dad occasionally wrote to Miley on her birthday, he wasn't sure when the last time they had actually seen each other was. The last time _Nick_ had seen him, it was the final night of summer. Nick was 13, Joe was 12, Miley was 11, and they were all having their final dinner together at the bonfire down at their favorite part of the beach. Denise was roasting the final marshmallows, and making sure the fire was still going, Miley, Nick, and Joe were chasing each other down the shoreline, pushing each other into the ocean with loud squeals and laughs, and Tish was wrapped in a thick wool blanket that William had wrapped around her shoulders. He had an arm gently slung around her shoulders, and her light blonde hair that shined through the night's darkness like a glowing halo was pressed up against his shoulders as she slowly dozed off to sleep.

Back then, Nick wouldn't have been able to find a single problem in their lives. Everything was perfect. Everything was easy.

He missed that.

"I found my Mom's phone a few days ago. Her history was filled with calls from Dad," Miley continued to explain, the usual sparkle in her eyes beginning to fade.

"You don't think he's asking for custody again, do you?" Nick asked, his heart freezing in place. If he won custody this time, she would be forced to move to Arizona with him; almost half- way across the country.

Miley didn't respond for a few minutes. Instead she reached for both Nick and Joe's hands and held them. For a few beats of silence, they just sat there hand in hand, connected.


	20. Summer: Day 19

The entire summer house had been set up as some type of Hawaiian Tiki room. Decorations and lights hung around every blank space, wall, and corner of the house. Music from the stereo in the living room had already begun to play music as guests began to flood in. Nick stepped downstairs, his hands jammed into his pockets as he eyed the room full of strangers nervously.

A figure stepped up next to him and he glanced up to see his brother in a button down collared shirt with loose jeans. Nick sighed as he turned his attention back to the arriving guests. "Miley invited all these people?"

Joe chuckled as he shoved his brother lightly. "Nah. I did."

"Do you even know all these people?"

He paused, thinking to himself before answering. "To be honest, not really. But Demi wanted to invite some people and I guess it spread throughout town."

"Where's Miley anyway?" Nick asked as he glanced around the packed room for the familiar head of sandy brown hair.

A soft voice sounded from behind them, "Right here."

Both Nick and Joe turned around to come face to face with the most beautiful girl in the room. Miley performed a small twirl, the ends of her dress to billow around her in white waves of fabric. Her hair had been straightened but curled at the tips as small, precious ringlets. Though she didn't have much make- up, the simple touch of gloss on her lips and the thin layer of eyeliner seemed to make her face just that much more beautifully innocent.

"Wow," Nick sighed as he stepped towards her. "You look beautiful."

A soft blush crept onto her lips before she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "You have no idea how long I've waited for you to say that."

When she finally pulled back, Nick wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, having no intention of letting go. Joe coughed awkwardly next to them. Finally, another familiar figure stepped next to him and wrapped their arms around his neck. Joe turned around quickly and picked up Demi in his arms.

"Hey," he grinned as he kissed her. She responded just as eagerly. Nick and Miley glanced at each other, both trying to hold back bursts of laughter.

"Get a room," Nick hooted as the two finally pulled apart.

"We will," Joe smirked at Nick before the two walked away hand in hand, moving deeper into the party to dance and mingle. Nick and Miley were finally left alone.

"Do you want to dance?" Nick finally asked as he offered his hand to Miley. She seemed to hesitate as she shied away from the huge crowd of people, but Nick's hand didn't waver once. After a short pause, Miley finally moved forward and slipped her hands through his.

"I'd love to," she smiled weakly. The two teenagers walked through the crowd until they reached the center of the living room where the furniture had been pushed to the side to make a dance floor. The song was upbeat and quick, but Miley simply brought her arms around Nick's neck. He followed her actions by placing his hand timidly at her waist, careful not to touch her to tight. There were certain parts of her body that were still sensitive. It was as if the abortion had left invisible scars that tortured her from even the simplest touches. She had become so insecure with her body that sometimes Nick was too scared to even lay a finger on her.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked as he watched her cringe slightly.

Miley nodded slowly and moved closer until her head rested right at the crook where Nick's shoulders and neck met. The two swayed from side to side, forgetting the rest of the room moving about around them. Nick could feel the warm tickling feeling of Miley's breath fogging at the base of his throat, sending shivers down his entire body. He simply buried his nose in her air, trying to take as much of her in as he could.

It was as if every moment, ever summer, had led up to this.

After a few more songs, the two teenagers walked off the dance floor and slipped out to the back. The pool lights were lit brightly from the pool floor leaving a serene look throughout the whole yard. Miley kicked off her heels and walked over to the edge of the pool. She carefully took a seat, dipping her toes in the cold blue water before turning around to meet Nick's heavy gaze.

"Are you coming or not?" she asked with a playful smile.

Cautiously, Nick followed her. He shivered when the cold water touched his feet, but it instantly disappeared when the heat of Miley's body next to him became present. Her head was leaning on his shoulder, her arm tangled with his as if she were a girl holding onto her father in a large crowd.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to the party?" Nick asked, taking a glance at the loud music blasting from behind them.

Miley shook her head. "Do you?"

Silence took over as the two just stared at the still water of the pool. Finally Nick brushed his hands across her hair, smoothing it down. "Do you still think about it? The baby…"

Miley stiffened under his touch, but she didn't move away. "It's not something I can just forget."

"Don't you think you should at least tell—"

"No," Miley announced loud and clear, breaking Nick in mid- sentence. "No, Nick."

"I can tell keeping it in is hurting you. She'll understand. She's Tish."

"You don't know her like I do," Miley whispered, shaking her head and slightly moving away from Nick. "She'll hate me."

"Miley…" Nick began, but a shattering sound followed by screams caught both of their attentions. Before Nick could realize what was happening, Miley had already untangled herself from his arms and began sprinting across the lawn.

"MOM!" Miley yelled, her voice slicing through the cold night air. Nick stood up quickly running after her, despite the fact that his legs were freezing up. His whole body was freezing up. He pushed and shoved past mounds and mounds of strangers piling together in a circle. By the time he reached the center of the living room, he watched in horror as Tish's body lay in the middle of the floor, limp and lifeless.


	21. Summer: Day 20

Three silent souls were seated in the waiting room, staring blankly at the wall in front of them. They had been staring at the same wall for hours now. The sky was starting to blossom a light purple- pink as dawn began to reveal itself. They didn't know how long they had been there or what time it was, but it didn't matter. Not now.

The oldest of the three, Nick Lucas ran a hand through his disheveled curls, repeating the act he had been doing nervously all night and early morning; Joe, the second oldest continued closing and opening his fists until he felt as if all the blood had left his hands. And finally, the youngest and most fragile of the three sat in complete silence, not moving or saying anything at all. If Nick could have taken one glace at her, he would have thought she wasn't breathing.

Hesitantly, he reached over to layer his hand over hers, but she had moved away before he had the chance to even pick up his arm. Disappointedly, he turned back around in his chair and let the tense silence continue its inhabitance. The soft clicking of footsteps walking towards their direction caused both brothers to snap up. Miley stayed frozen, her eyes glued to the blank wall with no hint of emotion or feeling. She looked like a painted portrait hung frozen in a gallery.

"How is she?" Nick asked first as he glanced up at his approaching mother.

"Is she going to be okay?" Joe asked, his voice cracking. Denise glanced down at her crossed arms and shifted from foot to foot.

"It's not good," she explained in a soft tone as if it were a secret. "She's sick."

Nick and Joe shared a look between each other before glancing back up towards their mother. "Like she got her cold back?" Joe asked timidly, though even he knew his mother would shake her head at his question. Everyone knew it was more.

"She has cancer," Denise mumbled, her eyes clouding with an expression her sons couldn't read.

"She can get treatment for that though… Right?"

Denise shifted to her other foot again as she shut her eyes and shook her head. "The cancer is at stage four. It's too late. There's nothing left we can do."

Nick felt his entire body freeze over. He forgot how to breathe, he forgot how to think, he forgot everything. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't happen. Not to them. Not this summer. Joe had begun to cry next to Nick, shielding his face with his hands as he curled himself into a ball. Nick glanced over at Miley who continued her blank stare. She hadn't moved once.

"Where is she?" Nick finally asked, a tear sliding across his cheek.

A soft, sad smile twisted onto their mother's lips as he grabbed for their hands including Miley's. All three followed her down the hall until they stopped in front of a room. It was a room that looked like any other; any other patient, any other life, any other mother. But it wasn't. Inside that room was Tish, and she was dying.

"She wants to see you first, Miley," Denise explained, reaching over to touch Miley's arm. The frozen brunette shut her eyes and cringed as if our touches burned her. After a few minutes, she finally shakily stood up, her eyes red- rimmed even though Nick hadn't seen her cry. She moved forward and disappeared behind the door.

Miley spent almost half an hour inside Tish's hospital room. By the time she exited, she looked as blank and numb as she was before she entered. Joe went next. His visit was shorter, but he was a complete mess by the time he walked back into the hallway. Nick walked over and grabbed his brother in a hug, hating to see him so weak. He had only seen Joe cry on one other occasion and that was when their dog, Logan had died by a hit and run accident.

"Go," Joe finally whispered as he pulled away, wiping at his eyes with the back of his palms.

Nick stepped back, giving Joe and Miley one last look before he stepped into the hospital room. The moment he entered, the stiff smell of medicine and sheets filled his senses. Everything felt so artificial that all Nick wanted to do was take Tish away from there and into the summer home that was so familiar to all of them. If she was going to die, he didn't want her here.

He found her on the other side of the room. Her hospital bed was pressed up against the far side of the wall, nearest to the window where dawn was breaking. Nick felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips knowing that Tish had most probably demanded that spot. His smile instantly fell as he caught sight of her pale face, and the tubes and wires that pierced almost every patch of skin on her wrists and arms.

He felt his knees go weak as he stumbled forward and grabbed for her hand. Even through her sickly pale complexion, Tish's smile didn't seem to fade as she squeezed Nick's hand weakly. "Nick," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Please don't cry on me. Joe was already enough," she laughed, though it was strained as if it were hurting her.

Nick couldn't find the right words to come out, so instead he just stood there and held her hand, afraid that if he let go she might vanish. "You'll get better, Tish. Just… just don't give up. Okay?" Nick smiled weakly, tears falling across his cheeks.

The pale blonde mimicked his weak smile and pressed his hand to her cheek. "You'll always be my little Nick. You and Joe. Denny and I always joked you were secretly my sons."

"Technically, we always were," Nick smiled, kneeling so he was face to face with Tish.

A small weak smile danced across her pale lips as she gave his hand one final squeeze. "Don't give up on Miley, Nick. Take care of her for me. Promise me."

"I don't need to. You'll be here to do it yourself," he mumbled desperately, finally realizing how cold her hands had become. A hint of a smile curled at the ends of her mouth, almost making her look like the bright Tish that would read him stories all those summers ago. Finally, Nick exhaled a deep shaky sigh and tightened his hold on her frail hand.

"I promise."


	22. Summer: Day 21

Tish managed to persuade the doctors to let her come home after three days in the hospital. They advised her to try to relax, and spend her final moments with the people she loved most. The minute she had gotten back to the beach house, she refused to go upstairs.

"If I die, I don't wait to do it alone in my bedroom," Tish had said the moment she entered the house, and Denise had tried to get her upstairs safely. Of course, her best friend disagreed completely, but what place were you to argue with someone who was dying?

So for the last two days, Tish was seated out in the backyard facing the wide, open beach. She laughed and smiled just like she always would before the sickness, but the physical affect of the disease was clearly staring to get the better of her. Her hair had thinned to almost nothing but a light yellow wisp, her skin had gone from a pale to now a grayish tinge, and her bones had gotten so fragile that Nick or anyone else in the house was too scared to touch her. They all spent as much time with her as possible, never leaving her alone for a minute.

"Thank you, Nick," Tish smiled weakly as he handed her a glass of iced tea. Nick smiled back at her, though he had to strain his mouth just to curve upwards. Seeing her like this made Nick feel so helpless.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" he asked politely. Tish patted his arm and shook her head.

"Where's Miley?" she asked instead.

Nick shrugged his shoulders guiltily. "I don't know. She hasn't left her room since we got home from the hospital."

Sadness filled Tish's eyes as if being sick was her own fault. Nick rubbed the back of his neck tensely before responding. "I can go talk to her for you if you want."

A bright smile broke across her lips as she patted his arm again. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you."

No, Nick thought to himself. I don't know what I would do without you… But he had lost the courage to say it. Instead he walked away from the porch and made his way upstairs. He paused in front of the poster covered door, his hand stopped in midair. He took one last long inhaling breath before knocking on the hard wood.

For a few minutes, there was no answer. Nick knocked again only to have a cracking scream threw at him from behind the door. "Go away!" Miley screamed.

Nick cringed at the sharpness in her voice, but he didn't move. "Miley. Can we talk? Please."

The pause was longer this time, but the door didn't open. "Why can't you just understand I want to be alone?" she finally replied, her voice becoming softer and softer.

Nick placed his hands on the wooden surface of the door and sighed. "Because I know you're lying."

This time, the pause was even longer and Nick was close to giving up as he dropped his hands back to his sides. Finally, right before he was turning on his heel to go back downstairs, the door creaked open to reveal a teary- eyed Miley. Nick felt his heart shatter in his chest from seeing her look so… broken.

The only other time he had seen her so devastated was the day she had gotten the abortion. "Miles, come here," Nick whispered as he wrapped the girl in his arms. She fell into them instantly, crumpling up his shirt in her fists as if restraining herself from punching something. She sobbed and thrashed around in his arms, and Nick stood there as strong as a rock trying to calm her down.

"This isn't fair," Miley mumbled into his shirt. "We didn't do anything to deserve this. Mom isn't ready to go. Not yet… not yet."

He brought a shaky hand to the back of her hair, smoothing it down. "I don't get it either, but that doesn't mean you have to lock yourself away from the rest of the world, Miles." He took a quick sweeping glance around her room. Chairs were flipped over, paper scattered the floor like snow, and the collage of pictures from all the summers they had spent together had been torn down viciously. "Don't do this to yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"She could have gotten better if I had caught the signs earlier. She might have had a chance…"

"What are you talking about?" Nick asked, tilting Miley's chin so her deep orbs of blue gray met his.

"Like I said before, a lot can happen in a year…"

Nick didn't waver as he stared her straight in the eye. "Tell me."

A soft sob slipped between the brunette's lips as she shut her eyes and looked away. "We were fighting okay? She saw me hanging out with Liam. Remember him? Yeah. Well, we got into this whole argument and I moved out for a few weeks. Liam had his own apartment down by the beach, and I stayed with him." She bit on her bottom lip and tugged her head down, so her gaze was down on the floor. "And then Liam dumped me, and I had nowhere else to go but home."

Nick stood frozen in shock. Tish and Miley were fighting. Miley had moved out. She had stayed with another boy. "How could we not know about this?" he whispered.

"Because she was protecting me," Miley explained in a whisper. "Do you think I really wanted this summer to be about pity? You guys would come here and stare at me knowing I was the girl who got dumped on the streets by her boyfriend, no matter how many times her mom warned her."

Nick grazed a timid finger across her cheek, swiping away a loose tear. "Miley…" was all he whispered, because he didn't know what else to say.

"Just stay with me, okay?" Miley mumbled as she buried her head in the safety of his cotton t- shirt. He tightened his grip on her as he led her to the bed until both were comfortably sitting on the far edge. He lay next to her and kissed her cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere."


	23. Summer: Day 22

Before they knew it, summer was half way gone. Nick walked into the backyard which was now empty. Tish had gone inside to take a nap. Her body had gotten weaker and weaker with each passing day. It scared Nick to know that any moment, she could just be gone.

He slid off his t- shirt and threw it on the concrete floor before dipping into the pool. He exhaled a deep sigh as the cool water carried him as if he were weightless. He took in the peaceful silence and felt relieved to know that there was some calm in the storm of the chaos inside the beach house. Tish's sickness wasn't just affecting her. It was affecting everyone.

Miley hadn't left the house since the news had broke, and it felt like she was back at step one, but that only this time, everyone had taken that step back too. Denise was constantly taking care of her best friend, spending as much time as her as possible. Joe tried his best to balance a new summer job he had gotten, Demi, and Tish at the same time, and Nick was just trying not to lose his sanity from everything.

Although he felt broken because of Tish, another part of him had begun to shatter from seeing Miley regress so quickly. She hadn't spoken to him for the last few days except for a few polite greetings, but even then it was brief, unemotional, and awkward. He wasn't sure if they were even together anymore.

Breaking his thoughts, a soft padding of footsteps approached him and he knew just from the shuffle of her flip flops who it was. "You want to come in for a swim?" Nick asked, opening one eye to peek at Miley. Her hair was loose today, her face make- up free, and her t- shirt was over- sized and baggy.

"I'm fine," Miley whispered, biting her lip as she took a seat on the edge of the pool and simply dipped her toes in the water. Worried, Nick swam towards her and grabbed her hand which rested on the smooth marble that surrounded the pool.

"You okay?"

Her hand twitched awkwardly in his as if his touch hurt her. "You just asked me that a few minutes ago," Miley reminded him softly. He had asked her earlier when they had been sitting together in the living room, but he couldn't help it. It was something he had gotten so used to asking, no matter how many times he already knew the answer.

"You just always look so sad," Nick explained as he squeezed her hand. She kept her own hand stiff under his as if she had no control left.

A small, sad smile twisted awkwardly on her lips. "What else am I supposed to feel? My mom is dying."

This time, Nick had no answer as he simple squeezed her hand again. He pulled himself out of the pool and took the seat next to Miley, leaving a small space in between them as he tried not to get her wet. She didn't say anything, and it was what filled most of their conversations lately. Silence.

"What do you want to do today?" Nick asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

She shrugged her shoulders and swung her feet across the water. He watched the ripples scatter across the surface as her movements pushed the water onward. The silence continued on for a long time before Nick managed to release the words he had been biting back from the very beginning.

"You have to tell Tish, you know… especially now. She deserves that at least," Nick mumbled, a vile taste suddenly filling his mouth as regret piled inside him. He glanced tensely up at the rigid figure sitting frozen next to him. He tore his gaze away knowing that he had only upset her more.

"I can't," she finally replied softly after a few moments of silent thinking.

"She's your mother, Mi. You have to tell her! Especially before she—" Nick cut off awkwardly, knowing that he would never be able to finish that sentence.

"Before she dies," Miley finished harshly after him. "Exactly, Nick. That's _exactly _why I don't want to tell her."

Nick raised an eyebrow as confusion clouded his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"If I tell her, the last thing my mom will know about me is that I killed my own baby… that I had kept it from her the entire time… That I lied to her. When she's gone, I want her to leave with the happy image of me before I turned into this mess, remember the one from all those summers ago?" she laughed bitterly, her voice croaking and low. She shut her eyes and dropped her head as she continued. "I want her to still love me."

Nick met her heavy blue- gray gaze as she tilted her face up. The sharp color were twinkling with tears, but for a long time, nothing came. It were as if the tears were frozen solid. Nick studied the shattered girl next to him, and didn't want to do anything else but pull her into his arms, but he didn't. He stared her straight in the eye and said, "There's more… You're hiding something."

And Nick knew he was right as Miley's body stiffened and her lips sealed shut. She gnawed on her bottom lip as if battling with her own mind. Finally, she stood up shakily.

"Goodnight, Nick," she said in a hushed whisper. He expected her to just walk away, but instead he watched as she leaned forward and pressed her cool lips onto his cheek. It was a quick and brief moment, almost missing the feeling of her lips brushing against his warm skin.

"Goodnight, Miley," Nick finally whispered back as he caught up to reality, but when he turned around, Miley was already gone.


	24. Summer: Day 23

**_A/N: I'm stopping this story... I don't think that many people have been reading it anyway, and it's just gotten way too depressing to write. _**

**_I just started working on a new story, but I'm not even sure if I'm uploading it on fanfiction. I'll probably be posting a preview or something soon, just to see the feedback. But I'll be uploading the left- over 4 or 5 chapters I've already written and then that'll be it... Thanks for reading. _**

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Nick lazily stared at the brim- full of coke laid out in front of him as he exhaled a long sigh. He adjusted his hand which rested underneath his chin as he glanced up to the two conversing teenagers sitting across from him at the restaurant table.

"You can't say Tom Cruise is better than Johnny Depp. No one is better than Johnny Depp!" Demi exclaimed with an assured smirk. Joe leveled her stare as an amused smile played on his lips.

"That's only because you think he's hotter."

"True," Demi laughed heartily as she kissed Joe's cheek. Nick's brother's face reddened slightly as he slung a loose arm around Demi's chair. It was the typical 'boyfriend' thing to do, and it almost angered Nick to realize that he hadn't been able to do any of that with Miley. Even from the pool encounter from the night before and the small kiss on the cheek, he wasn't exactly sure if they were still together or not.

"So Nick, how's summer going for you so far?" Demi asked, finally glancing up at the third wheel silently moping across from them.

He shrugged his shoulders and glanced down at the silk white tablecloth. "Not the best."

"Where's Miley anyway? I heard you guys were together now," Demi exclaimed in her usual high, energetic tone. Nick could tell from the way Joe stiffened that he hadn't told her. He wasn't sure about which part.

"Miley had some things to deal with," Nick explained slowly, his heart freezing over from simply mentioning her name. He quickly glanced back down at his drink.

"Oh, that's too bad. I was going to tell her about this new dance studio they built downtown. They're having an opening show, and the part they're placing auditions for feels like something she would be perfect for."

At that moment, Miley took that time to walk in, her hair hanging in loose waves around her face. Her gray- blue eyes twinkled and Nick wasn't sure whether it was because she was happy or because they were glistening with fresh tears. He found it was better to let it go, knowing that letting his thoughts would go on would only lead to his deeper confusion.

"Miley! We were just talking about you!" Demi grinned as if it were any other day, as if they were all just any other group of friends. But it wasn't. Not now that Tish was dying. It was as if the lamp that lit up the entire street was slowly dimming out into blackness. Once it vanished completely, there would only be darkness.

"Oh," Miley answered a little unsurely. Her gaze danced around the table and rested a little longer on Nick. "What about?"

Demi rummaged through her large purse until she picked out a brightly colored flyer covered with silhouettes of different dance poses. She slid the paper across the marble counter, towards Miley's direction. The honey- haired brunette stared down at the flyer for a few moments, silence filling in the conversation as she thought and everyone watched and waited for her reaction. Finally, she glanced up and simply pushed the paper away.

"I don't dance anymore," she finally explained stiffly, the same answer she had been giving since they had first arrived.

Demi's smiled dimmed at the corners, but Nick could tell she wasn't going to give up that easily. "I know, but this just seems like a really great opportunity. You know, to get yourself back on your feet. It'll be really fun! I already have a part as one of the smaller dancers, and Joe is working on sets. We can all hang out more."

Miley shook her head once again, but Nick knew she was slowly beginning to reconsider as she gnawed on her lip tenderly. Her eyes were still glued to the color- splashed flyer, when Tish walked in. The soft, weak shuffle of her footsteps were almost painful to hear from where Nick was sitting. She had been having a harder and harder time walking, but she refused to sit in a chair all day. Nick admired her courage and independence, but even then, there was a certain line that couldn't be crossed.

"Mom," Miley snapped around quickly, worry filling her eyes. "You shouldn't be down here so early."

Tish ignored her daughter's complaints and smiled a beaming smile around the room. Even with her newly pale complexion and her thinning hair, she still managed to make the room seem a little bit brighter. That was what he would miss most about her, Nick thought to himself; her ability to make everything seem okay.

"Good morning, guys," she greeted warmly, leaning forward and giving each one a hug. Nick tried his best not to shiver as her cold skin met his. She stopped in front of Demi and raised a teasing eyebrow. "And are you the famous Demi that we've been hearing Joe yap on so much about?"

Joe and Demi both shaded a deep color of red, and Nick and Miley simply laughed.

"I guess so," Demi grinned, sneaking a glance at the blushing Joe.

"Well, it's great to finally meet you," Tish grinned. Demi mirrored her smile, but Nick could tell her dark eyes were wandering across Tish's frail body. If Joe hadn't told her that Tish was sick, she was slowly figuring it out now. Joe stood up quickly, scraping the metal chair across the paneled floor before stuffing his hands in his pocket.

"Demi and I were just going out for a walk," Joe finally exclaimed, and Nick knew from the way his brother was looking between Demi and Tish that he was finally going to tell her what was happening to Tish. Demi nodded silently and grabbed her bag off the chair.

"Well, it was nice to meet you." Demi smiled a little more strained than usual. She slung her bag around one shoulder and prepared to leave, but not before she turned towards Miley. She pushed the flyer towards her by an inch and gave her an encouraging smile. "And I think you should reconsider. You have too much talent, Miles. You can't give it all away… Sleep on it, at least."

Miley nodded stiffly, and glanced down at the thin sheet of paper. She still seemed a little unsure on what to do. Everyone in the room stayed silent a few minutes after Joe and Demi had left the room. Finally, Tish's weak voice broke through the cloud of silence.

"What was Demi talking about?" Tish asked curiously, stepping closer to her daughter and sneaking a glance at the flyer still resting on the table in front of her.

Miley shrugged casually with her new I-don't- care- about- anything attitude. She pushed the flyer away but not before Tish could grab it. She read it over for a few minutes, her eyebrows scrunching together and unscrunching together every few seconds. Finally, she set the flyer down into Miley's hands.

"You should do it," Tish smiled brightly, her smile almost radiating the entire room. Nick watched as Miley timidly glanced up at her mother with an unsure glance.

"I don't know," she mumbled.

"Please," Tish pleaded, grabbing her daughter's hands and squeezing them with the little strength she could manage. "I miss seeing you dance. Just one more time."

_Just one more time before I go, _was whatshe had meant, Nick thought to himself. He could tell Miley had been thinking the same thing as he watched her eyes fill with such emotion and feeling that Nick felt wrong just to be witnessing it. She fell into her mother's arms, and in that one moment, Nick watched as the invisible walls she had spent so much time building around her began to crumble.

He didn't have to hear her say it out loud to know that her answer was already, yes.


	25. Summer: Day 24

Nick walked into the studio with his hopes set high that this production would lead to something bigger, something better. He had just recently signed up on the set team with Joe, and it was the first time he actually had something to do. He was tired of moping around the house, surrounded by all the sadness. Though no one was willing to admit it, they were all just waiting for Tish to die. Nick still cried every few nights, and he could even hear Joe's own soft sobs, but he knew there was no point in waiting. It would only make things worse.

"Hi, can I help you?" a short blonde girl asked. She looked very official with a clipboard in hand and a small microphone taped onto her jacket. A small platinum nametag with the words_ Taylor_ engraved on was pinned onto her jacket also.

"We were looking for where the auditions were being held," Nick explained.

Taylor raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "We?"

Nick quickly snapped around surprised to see that Miley had disappeared once again from behind him. He scanned the room, searching for her when his stare stopped at the timid girl glancing around the room as if it were another planet. She looked so small and lost that it pained Nick to see how much she had regressed in the past summer. If he were to compare the high- energy girl from all those summers ago to the one he was staring at, he would never have believed they were the same person.

"Miley!" Nick called out with his hands cupped around his mouth. Her eyes flickered towards Nick as she slowly shuffled forward, her hands tangled together as she rubbed them anxiously. As soon as she approached them, Nick placed his hand at the base of her back. He kept it there to let her know that he was there, and to his relief, she seemed to almost melt into his touch with a little more comfort.

"This is Miley Gregory, the best dancer in Virginia," Nick smiled proudly as he turned back to Taylor. A deep blush crept across her cheeks like an untamed wave, but she managed to smile weakly.

"I wouldn't say that," Miley laughed softly, the sound of sweet bells filling the room.

"Well, we're glad to have you here," Taylor smiled as she shook Miley's hand. "Auditions start in about 15 minutes, so if you're auditioning go through that door." She pointed towards a brightly painted red door that was left propped open with a chair. She raised an eyebrow at Nick's faded jeans and uncombed curls. "Are you auditioning also?"

The curly- haired 18 year chuckled, and even Miley found another round of laughter inside her as she glanced at Nicks skeptically. "No," Nick answered with a smile. "Definitely not."

"That's what I thought." Taylor laughed and pointed towards another door under the sign Auditorium. "Well, if you're here to watch, you can go through that door. Good luck," she waved at the two of them before she began speaking rapidly into her microphone. She walked away quickly, leaving Nick and Miley alone.

Nick could easily read the worry and anxiousness on her face. He rubbed small circles on her back with his hand and flashed her a reassuring smile. "You're going to do great."

She smiled shyly. "I don't know. I haven't danced in awhile."

"You'll do great," he repeated with a sureness in his voice. "You always do… And if you get nervous, just remember I'll be there," Nick encouraged.

"How will knowing that _you'll _be watching supposed to make me any calmer," Miley rolled her eyes, thought a small blush crept onto her cheeks.

Nick grabbed her hands and squeezed them. "Then pretend that we're just in the summer house again. That it's any other hot day, and we're all inside listening to the radio while you dance to whatever song is playing. You're twirling around the living room carpet with your bare feet, and your braces are still on," he laughed as a small smile also twisted onto her lips. "There's no pressure, no judging. You're just dancing because you love to."

Miley fluttered her eyes open as if waking up from a pleasant dream. "Thank you," she smiled, her expressions already looking a bit calmer.

Right before they went their separate ways, Nick pulled her towards him and just held her. She didn't pull away. She didn't say anything, but let him hold her. Sometimes it felt as if Nick needed her more than she needed him. He had _always_ needed her, he began to realize in the past few weeks. He had just been too oblivious and childish to realize it before.

"Dance your heart out," Nick grinned sheepishly as he pulled away. He ruffled Miley's hair like they were 12 again, and he almost grinned as she giggled and fixed her hair. For a moment, he felt as if they were just messing around, ready to go to the beach in a few minutes, and come home to eat dinner that Tish and Denise had lied about making instead of buying. The days where they would all just lounge around the flat screen TV at night and stuff themselves in junk food, and no one would care. Sometimes he wished it were still that easy.

Miley flashed him one last smile before she grabbed her dance bag and walked through the red door Taylor had pointed her to. Nick watched her go with a strange pride building inside of his chest. It was the same pride he would imagine from a parent watching their child take their very first steps, and knowing it was the start of something bigger.

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Nick sat back in the plush seats as he tapped his foot in rhythm to a song playing in his head. He had been waiting for almost half an hour, and he had watched as endless numbers of girls of all ages and ethnicities danced across that stage, fighting for the same role that Miley was aiming for.

Nick felt a bit of anxiety swell inside him as he took note of certain girls who basically burst of talent. The competition would be hard, and Nick's hopes were beginning to dim. If she didn't get the part, Miley's hope would shatter even further, and Nick had been the final one to talk her into auditioning.

He watched anxiously as a petite Asian girl around Miley's age leaped across the stage with a height that Nick only thought possible with stage wires. Her pin- straight raven black hair waved behind her like a veil, following her in sync with every move or turn she performed. Nick held his breath as she finished with a perfect stance, not a single footing or hair out of place.

The young girl strode of stage with a large smile on her face. His attention suddenly snapped towards the stage again when a voice spoke through the microphone and called out the next dancer.

_"_Miley Gregory?" the dance director called out as he fidgeted with the brightly colored scarf wrapped around his neck. Nick watched, his whole body frozen as he watched Miley walk across the stage. She seemed a little hesitant, but the moment she was hit with the bright spotlight, she seemed to freeze completely.

_I'm here… I'm right here, _Nick wanted to scream out, but his mouth stayed sealed as his mouth dried up. Finally, as if hearing his thoughts, those orbs of blue- gray flickered across the small crowds of people and focused on Nick. _The summer house… the radio is on… you're dancing around us…, _he repeated over and over again in his if once again being able to read Nick's thoughts, Miley shut her eyes and nodded. A smile crept on her lips right as the music they had chosen the night before began to play.

It was a simple song with a building chorus, exactly what described Miley and the way she danced. She began with tiny, tender movements and began to leap further and spin faster as the chorus began to approach. Her leotard clinged onto her body like a second skin, and her hair was tied into a tight bun on top of her head except for a few strands which framed her face like a halo. Nick watched in awe as she moved across the stage with so much grace and fluidity that it was almost impossible to believe she had stopped dancing at all.

The last time he had actually seen her dance was for a recital Denise had flew them into Virginia to watch. She was only 13, when she had been cast as the lead in the Nutcracker ballet. Nick and Joe had taken it all for granted, rolling their eyes when their mom had first told them. They knew from all the times Miley would dance in the summer house and on the streets at the most random moments that she was a good dancer, but the moment she had stepped onto that stage, both of their eyes weren't ready to see what they had seen. Miley Gregory seemed like a completely different person when she was dancing. Sometimes it was hard to tell whether the real Miley was really the one on stage or the one off stage.

Nick watched captivated until the very last moment. The song ended in a high note that seemed to suspend in the air as she leapt into the air for one final jump. For a second, Nick actually believed that she was about to break into the air and fly.

But a moment later, she had fallen back onto the stage with her toes pointed, her arms stretched out in a perfect angle and her head pointed straight towards the audience; just like they had practiced.

Before anyone could move or say anything, Nick had already leapt out of his seat and began to applaud. He hooted and screamed and clapped until his voice began to croak and his palms became red and itchy. Miley grinned back at him, her chest heaving from the power she had given in her performance. Nick flashed her a look filled with so much pride, that he wondered if a feeling could ever burst out of a body.

Even the director had stood up to clap. All the doubts and regrets that had filled his mind before the audition suddenly vanished as if it were never there to ever begin with. He had no doubt who was getting the part. The minute Miley walked off the stage, Nick ran out of the auditorium and raced out to find Miley waiting outside the double doors, her chest still heaving with exhaustion or happiness.

"You were amazing!" Nick exclaimed as he picked her up in his arms and twirled her around and around and around. She wrapped her arms tightly around Nick's neck, giggling as she buried her face in his hair. "We're all going to be so proud of you when you perform on that stage for everyone."

Miley was still laughing when Nick finally put her down. Her cheeks were red and her hair was sticking out everywhere, but Nick couldn't find a moment when he had thought she looked any more beautiful that she looked right now. "I don't even know if I got the part yet."

"You might as well have," Nick grinned, wanting nothing else but to kiss her at that moment. "Those judges didn't stand up for any other audition."

"Really?"

"Really," Nick assured her.

"So what now?" she asked.

The 18 year old boy carried her into his arms, and tried to forget the tingles that shocked his entire body whenever her skin touched his. "Now," he exclaimed with a large smile, breaking at the corners of lips. "Now, we celebrate."


	26. Summer: Day 25

**_A/N: Sorry it took so long, but here it is. I've decided to stop the story, but I'm going to give it a proper ending. I have up to two more actual chapters I had written beforehand to upload before I'll upload like two newer chapters that I'm going to write. They'll pretty much be huge summaries and flashforwards b/c I don't have time to write each chapter. It'll just give you an understanding on why some things happen etc... _**

**_The next chapter should be up in two days or three. :)_**

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The entire house decided to celebrate that night. They had just received the phone call from the dance director saying that Miley had gotten the lead part in his new production. Everyone went crazy as they hugged her congratulations, and Tish even shed a few proud tears. Suddenly, Miley was beaming as if the phone call had flipped a switch inside of her.

They had decided to go to the small Italian restaurant on the corner of the boardwalk to celebrate. It was a restaurant they had been going to before Nick, Miley, and Joe could even walk. It was almost a tradition to spend every major holiday or celebration in Antonio's Plaza. If anyone could serve a better pizza or pasta, it was here.

The entire group entered the glass doors, laughing as the twinkling sound of the broken bells on top of the door began to ring. Nick let Tish hold onto his arm to keep herself steady. They had first argued over the fact that Tish was too weak to be let out of the house, but she had refused to give in. It was her daughter's celebratory dinner, and she wasn't going to miss it for the world.

Nick slowly led her to their usual table at the back, the same table they had been going to since they had first gotten there. He carefully set Tish at a seat, watching as she slowly took a seat. Nick could feel people's stares from all around the restaurant. Many were stares of awe at Miley. Something about her looked different today, Nick realized with his own building awe. Her hair looked a little more fluorescent, her blue- gray eyes that made Nick go crazy began to twinkle, and her lightly tanned skin seemed to almost shine. She looked absolutely beautiful.

And she didn't even know.

Sadly, other eyes were trailing on them because of Tish. Her hair had thinned out to almost nothing, her face had tinged to a light gray as if she was already beginning to die away, and the veins protruded so clearly at certain points of her body that it felt as if she were a map of blue and purple lines.

"I'm starving," Joe grumbled as he took a seat across from Nick. He grabbed the small plastic menus and shuffled through the pages, though Nick knew he would most probably just buy his usual tomato ravioli. Nick already knew he was going to get his margarita pizza. It was almost impossible for him to not order it when they ate her.

Miley had taken the seat right next to Nick's as she began to shuffle through her own menu. She was probably the only one on the table who would order something completely different off the menu. Every time the two families would eat here, she would never order the same thing she had ordered before. She was someone who nearly always craved for something new.

"If I choose the same thing over and over again, how will I ever know if the others are just as good? For all I know, I might be missing out on something so much better," was what she had always said when Joe and Nick teased her about her spontaneous choosing.

Tish and Denise had sat next to each other as they whispered and laughed about almost everything. Even at their ages with full families, they still managed to act like two best friends in high school. Nick always loved that about them. With each other, nothing ever seemed to change.

Once the food had arrived, everyone around the table raised their glasses of water in the air. "To Miley being the best dancer in the entire state of Virginia," Denise cheered gleefully as the others hooted in agreement. Miley blushed next to Nick and laughed along as she raised her glass. Nick hadn't seen her so happy since last summer, before everything that had happened this summer.

"So when is the performance?" Joe asked, already chewing away on a breadstick.

"Two weeks away," Miley explained. Nick began to wonder how much longer Tish could last. She could barely even walk anymore. He made a silent prayer in his head to allow Tish to live long enough to see her daughter perform. He would give up anything.

"Well, you're going to do great, hun," Denise grinned, patting Miley's arm.

"I know she is," Nick smiled at her. She turned to look at him with a smile twisted across her lips. For a moment, they just sat there looking at each other as if they were seeing each other for the first time. They were sitting so closely that Nick realized If he leaned forward just an inch, he could kiss her.

Instead, Nick reached out and found her hand underneath the table. He curled his fingers around hers, and smiled to himself as her own hands seemed to curl naturally into his own fingers. They fit so perfectly that it made Nick wonder if God really made hands like puzzle pieces; that Miley was his perfect fit.

"You know, working on the sets is hard work too," Joe grinned playfully.

"Sure, Joseph. Sure," Denise laughed, nudging her son. The entire table broke into laughter and suddenly it was as if they were back to all those summer nights when they had nothing to worry about except for what to do the next day, trying to fit everything they wanted to do in the small time summer handed them.

Denise and Tish had began to tell old stories that would always leave everyone cracking up in laughter, and for once Tish seemed to gain just a bit of color in her cheeks.

Nick glanced at the breath- taking brunette laughing next to him, and she coincidentally turned to look at him at the exact moment he did. Their eyes met again and an invisible line of electricity jolted between them. As he squeezed her tiny fingers and mirrored her smile, they both knew that starting from that moment, things weren't going to be that bad.


End file.
